Ariane 3
Launch of first Ariane 3, flight V10, from Europe's Spaceport in French Guiana, on 4 August 1984, carrying ECS-2 and Telecom-1A satellites. | |
| Function | Medium-lift launch vehicle |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | Aérospatiale for European Space Agency (ESA) and Arianespace |
| Size | |
| Height | 49.13 m (161.2 ft) |
| Diameter | 3.8 m (12 ft) |
| Mass | 234,000 kg (516,000 lb) |
| Stages | 3 |
| Capacity | |
| Payload to GTO (200 km x 36,000 km at i=7 deg) | |
| Mass | 2,700 kg (6,000 lb) |
| Associated rockets | |
| Family | Ariane |
| Based on | Ariane 1 |
| Derivative work | Ariane 4 |
| Launch history | |
| Status | Retired |
| Launch sites | Guiana, ELA-1 |
| Total launches | 11 |
| Success(es) | 10 |
| Failure | 1 |
| First flight | 4 August 1984 |
| Last flight | 12 July 1989 |
| Boosters – SPB 7.35 | |
| No. boosters | 2 |
| Height | 8.32 m (27 ft 4 in) |
| Diameter | 1.07 m (3 ft 6 in) |
| Empty mass | 2,313 kg (5,099 lb) |
| Gross mass | 9,663 kg (21,303 lb) |
| Maximum thrust | 690 kN (160,000 lbf) each |
| Total thrust | 1,380 kN (310,000 lbf) |
| Specific impulse | 263 s (2.58 km/s) |
| Burn time | 29 seconds |
| Propellant | CTPB |
| First stage – L-140B | |
| Height | 18.4 m (60 ft) |
| Diameter | 3.8 m (12 ft) |
| Empty mass | 13,750 kg (30,310 lb) |
| Gross mass | 160,030 kg (352,810 lb) |
| Powered by | 4 × Viking 2B |
| Maximum thrust | 2,580 kN (580,000 lbf) |
| Specific impulse | 281 s (2.76 km/s) |
| Burn time | 140 seconds |
| Propellant | N2O4 / UH 25 |
| Second stage – L-33B | |
| Height | 11.5 m (37 ft 9 in) |
| Diameter | 2.6 m (8 ft 6 in) |
| Empty mass | 3,625 |
| Gross mass | 37,130 kg (81,860 lb) |
| Powered by | 1 × Viking 4B |
| Maximum thrust | 805 kN (181,000 lbf) |
| Specific impulse | 296 s (2.90 km/s) |
| Burn time | 125 seconds |
| Propellant | N2O4 / UH 25 |
| Third stage – H-10 | |
| Height | 11.53 m (37 ft 10 in) |
| Diameter | 2.66 m (8 ft 9 in) |
| Empty mass | 1,600 kg (3,500 lb) |
| Gross mass | 12,000 kg (26,000 lb) |
| Powered by | 1 × HM7B |
| Maximum thrust | 62.7 kN (14,100 lbf) |
| Specific impulse | 446 s (4.37 km/s) |
| Burn time | 731 seconds |
| Propellant | LH2 / LOX |
| Part of a series on |
| Private spaceflight |
|---|
Ariane 3 (French: [aʁjan tʁwɑ]) was a European expendable carrier rocket, which was used for eleven launches between 1984 and 1989. It was a member of the Ariane family of rockets. The principal manufacturer for the Ariane 3 was Aérospatiale, while the lead agency for its development was the Centre National d'Études Spatiales (CNES).
Development of the Ariane 3 was authorised in July 1979, months prior to the Ariane 1's first flight. Drawing heavily upon both the design and infrastructure of the Ariane 1, the new launcher was concurrently developed alongside the Ariane 2, with which it shared much of its design. It represented an advancement of the Ariane 1 rather than a replacement, but was capable of lifting even heavier payloads into geostationary transfer orbit (GTO) as well as launching two satellites via one launch. Developed largely within a two year window, the Ariane 3 performed its maiden flight on 4 August 1984, actually flying in advance of its Ariane 2 sibling. During its brief service life, having performed its final launch on 12 July 1989, the Ariane family had become increasingly commercially competitive, becoming the market leading heavy launch vehicle in the world by the late 1980s.