Ariane 3

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 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)[1]
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
Launch history
Status	Retired
Launch sites	Guiana Space Centre ELA-1
Total launches	11[2]
Success(es)	10
Failure(s)	1
First flight	4 August 1984
Last flight	12 July 1989
Boosters – SEP P7.35[3]
No. boosters	2
Height	8.32 m (27.3 ft)
Diameter	1.07 m (3 ft 6 in)
Gross mass	19.32 tonnes (42,600 lb)
Powered by	P7
Maximum thrust	1,260 kN (280,000 lbf)
Specific impulse	2,314 N‑s/kg (236.0 s)
Burn time	27 s
Propellant	CTPB
First stage – L-140[3]
Height	19.09 m (62.6 ft)
Diameter	3.80 m (12.5 ft)
Gross mass	165.89 tonnes (365,700 lb)
Powered by	Viking 5B
Maximum thrust	2,580 kN (580,000 lbf)
Specific impulse	2,376 N‑s/kg (242.3 s)
Burn time	138 s
Propellant	UH 25 / N2O4
Second stage – L-33[3]
Height	11.47 m (37.6 ft)
Diameter	2.60 m (8 ft 6 in)
Gross mass	39.41 tonnes (86,900 lb)
Powered by	Viking 4B
Maximum thrust	784.8 kN (176,400 lbf) (vacuum)
Specific impulse	2,851 N‑s/kg (290.7 s)
Burn time	128.9 s
Propellant	UH 25 / N2O4
Third stage – H-10[3]
Height	9.89 m (32.4 ft)
Diameter	2.60 m (8 ft 6 in)
Gross mass	12.74 tonnes (28,100 lb)
Powered by	HM7B
Maximum thrust	64.2 kN (14,400 lbf)
Specific impulse	4,336 N‑s/kg (442.1 s)
Burn time	729 s
Propellant	LOX / LH2
[edit on Wikidata]

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Ariane 3 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'Etudes 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.