![]() 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 |
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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 June 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 |
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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.