Ariane 5

Ariane 5
	Ariane 5 flight VA-256 on the launch pad with the James Webb Space Telescope in December 2021
Function	Heavy launch vehicle
Manufacturer	ArianeGroup; for ESA
Country of origin	20 ESA member states: Austria ; Belgium ; Czech Republic ; Denmark ; Finland ; France ; Germany ; Greece ; Ireland ; Italy ; Luxembourg ; Netherlands ; Norway ; Poland ; Portugal ; Romania ; Spain ; Sweden ; Switzerland ; United Kingdom ;
Cost per launch	€150–200 million (as of 2016)
Size
Height	46–52 m (151–171 ft)
Diameter	5.4 m (18 ft)
Mass	777,000 kg (1,713,000 lb)
Stages	2
Capacity
Payload to Low Earth orbit
Altitude	260 km (160 mi) (circular)
Orbital inclination	51.6°
Mass	G: 16,000 kg (35,000 lb); ES: over 20,000 kg (44,000 lb)
Payload to GTO
Mass	G: 6,950 kg (15,320 lb); G+: 6,950 kg (15,320 lb); GS: 6,100 kg (13,400 lb); ECA: 10,865 kg (23,953 lb);
Associated rockets
Family	Ariane
Comparable	Atlas V 551; Delta IV Heavy; Falcon 9 Block 5; H-IIB; Long March 5; Proton-M; GSLV Mark III;
Launch history
Status	G: Retired; G+: Retired; GS: Retired; ECA: Retired; ES: Retired;
Launch sites	Centre Spatial Guyanais, ELA-3
Total launches	117 G: 16; G+: 3; GS: 6; ECA: 84; ES: 8;
Success(es)	112 G: 13; G+: 3; GS: 6; ECA: 82; ES: 8;
Failure(s)	2 (G: 1, ECA: 1)
Partial failure(s)	3 (G: 2, ECA: 1)
First flight	G: 4 June 1996; G+: 2 March 2004; GS: 11 August 2005; ECA: 11 December 2002; ES: 9 March 2008;
Last flight	G: 27 September 2003; G+: 18 December 2004; GS: 18 December 2009; ECA: 5 July 2023; ES: 25 July 2018;
Type of passengers/cargo	XMM-Newton; Envisat; Rosetta; ATV; Herschel; Planck; Galileo; Webb;
Boosters (G, G+) – EAP P238
No. boosters	2
Height	31.6 m (104 ft)
Diameter	3.06 m (10.0 ft)
Gross mass	270 t (270 long tons; 300 short tons)
Powered by	P238
Maximum thrust	6,650 kN (1,490,000 lbf)
Total thrust	13,300 kN (3,000,000 lbf)
Burn time	130 seconds
Propellant	AP, Aluminium, HTPB
Boosters (GS, ECA, ES) – EAP P241
No. boosters	2
Height	31.6 m (104 ft)
Diameter	3.06 m (10.0 ft)
Empty mass	33 t (32 long tons; 36 short tons)
Gross mass	273 t (269 long tons; 301 short tons)
Powered by	P241
Maximum thrust	7,080 kN (1,590,000 lbf)
Total thrust	14,160 kN (3,180,000 lbf)
Burn time	140 seconds
Propellant	AP, Aluminium, HTPB
Core stage (G, G+, GS) – EPC H158
Height	23.8 m (78 ft)
Diameter	5.4 m (18 ft)
Empty mass	12,200 kg (26,900 lb)
Gross mass	170,500 kg (375,900 lb)
Powered by	G, G+: Vulcain 1; GS: Vulcain 1B
Maximum thrust	1,015 kN (228,000 lbf) (vacuum)
Specific impulse	440 seconds (vacuum)
Burn time	605 seconds
Propellant	LH2 / LOX
Core stage (ECA, ES) – EPC H173
Height	23.8 m (78 ft)
Diameter	5.4 m (18 ft)
Empty mass	14,700 kg (32,400 lb)
Gross mass	184,700 kg (407,200 lb)
Powered by	Vulcain 2
Maximum thrust	960 kN (220,000 lbf); (sea level); 1,390 kN (310,000 lbf) (vacuum)
Specific impulse	310 seconds (sea level); 432 seconds (vacuum)
Burn time	540 seconds
Propellant	LH2 / LOX
Second stage (G) – EPS L9.7
Height	3.4 m (11 ft)
Diameter	5.4 m (18 ft)
Empty mass	1,200 kg (2,600 lb)
Gross mass	10,900 kg (24,000 lb)
Powered by	Aestus
Maximum thrust	27 kN (6,100 lbf)
Burn time	1100 seconds
Propellant	MMH / N2O4
Second stage (G+, GS, ES) – EPS L10
Height	3.4 m (11 ft)
Diameter	5.4 m (18 ft)
Empty mass	1,200 kg (2,600 lb)
Gross mass	11,200 kg (24,700 lb)
Powered by	Aestus
Maximum thrust	27 kN (6,100 lbf)
Burn time	1170 seconds
Propellant	MMH / N2O4
Second stage (ECA) – ESC-A
Height	4.711 m (15.46 ft)
Diameter	5.4 m (18 ft)
Empty mass	4,540 kg (10,010 lb)
Gross mass	19,440 kg (42,860 lb)
Powered by	HM7B
Maximum thrust	67 kN (15,000 lbf)
Specific impulse	446 seconds
Burn time	945 seconds
Propellant	LH2 / LOX

Ariane 5 is a retired European heavy-lift space launch vehicle developed and operated by Arianespace for the European Space Agency (ESA). It was launched from the Centre Spatial Guyanais (CSG) in French Guiana. It was used to deliver payloads into geostationary transfer orbit (GTO), low Earth orbit (LEO) or further into space. The launch vehicle had a streak of 82 consecutive successful launches between 9 April 2003 and 12 December 2017. Since 2014, Ariane 6, a direct successor system, is in development.

The system was designed as an expendable launch system by the Centre national d'études spatiales (CNES), the French government's space agency, in cooperation with various European partners. Despite not being a direct derivative of its predecessor launch vehicle program, it was classified as part of the Ariane rocket family. ArianeGroup was the prime contractor for the manufacturing of the vehicles, leading a multi-country consortium of other European contractors. Ariane 5 was originally intended to launch the Hermes spacecraft, and thus it was rated for human space launches.

Since its first launch, Ariane 5 was refined in successive versions: "G", "G+", "GS", "ECA", and finally, "ES". The system had a commonly used dual-launch capability, where up to two large geostationary belt communication satellites can be mounted using a SYLDA (Système de Lancement Double Ariane, meaning "Ariane Double-Launch System") carrier system. Up to three, somewhat smaller, main satellites are possible depending on size using a SPELTRA (Structure Porteuse Externe Lancement Triple Ariane, which translates to "Ariane Triple-Launch External Carrier Structure"). Up to eight secondary payloads, usually small experiment packages or minisatellites, could be carried with an ASAP (Ariane Structure for Auxiliary Payloads) platform.

Following the launch of 15 August 2020, Arianespace signed the contracts for the last eight Ariane 5 launches, before it was succeeded by the new Ariane 6 launcher, according to Daniel Neuenschwander, director of space transportation at the ESA. Ariane 5 flew its final mission on 5 July 2023.

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