Ariane 5

Status	retired
Rocket family	Ariane
Country	Europe
Manufacturer	Astrium
Number of launches	117
First launch	1996-06-04
Last launch	2023-07-05

Ariane 5 was Europe’s principal launch system for more than a quarter century, flying 117 times since 1996. Notable payloads include ESA’s comet-chasing Rosetta mission, a dozen of Europe’s Galileo navigation satellites – orbited by just three launches – and the James Webb Space Telescope.

This heavy launcher more than doubled the mass-to-orbit capacity of its predecessor, Ariane 4, which flew from 1988 until 2003 as a favourite of the telecommunications industry with its need to put large payloads into very high geosynchronous orbits.

Ariane 5’s capacity enabled it to orbit two large telecommunications satellites on a single launch, or to push very large payloads into deep space. Where Ariane 1, 2 and 3 (1979-1989) and Ariane 4 (1988-2003) were closely related, the larger and more powerful Ariane 5 was developed essentially as an all-new launch system.

Ariane flights are numbered, from the first launch of Ariane 1 in 1979, with the prefix VA, from the French ‘Vol Ariane’: VA261 for Ariane 5’s final flight.

Ariane 5 Media Kit, ESA, 2023

Launches by year:

Latest launches:

Launch date	Launch site	Rocket / Variant	Payload	Status
2023-07-05	Kourou	Ariane 5 ECA+	Heinrich-Hertz / Syracuse 4B	success
2023-04-14	Kourou	Ariane 5 ECA+	JUICE	success
2022-12-13	Kourou	Ariane 5 ECA+	Galaxy 35 / 36 / MTG-I1	success
2022-09-07	Kourou	Ariane 5 ECA+	Eutelsat Konnect VHTS	success
2022-06-22	Kourou	Ariane 5 ECA+	Measat 3D / GSAT 24	success
2021-12-25	Kourou	Ariane 5 ECA+	JWST	success
2021-10-24	Kourou	Ariane 5 ECA+	SES 17 / Syracuse 4A	success
2021-07-30	Kourou	Ariane 5 ECA+	Star One D2 / Eutelsat Quantum	success
2020-08-15	Kourou	Ariane 5 ECA	Galaxy 30 / MEV 2 / BSat 4b	success
2020-02-18	Kourou	Ariane 5 ECA	JCSat 17 / GEO-KOMPSAT 2B	success

Variants:

(This section is under construction)

Ariane 5 G

First launch	1996-06-04
Boosters	2
Mass	746 t
Height	50.4 m

Payload capacity:

LEO	9500 kg to 800 km SSO
GTO	6900 kg

The original version was dubbed Ariane 5G (Generic). Its payload capability to geostationary transfer orbit (GTO) was 6,900 kg (15,200 lb) for a single satellite or 6,100 kg (13,400 lb) for dual launches. It flew 16 times with one failure and two partial failures.

Ariane 5 ECA (Evolved Cryogenic model A)

First launch	2002-12-11
Boosters	2
Mass	780 t
Height	50.5 m

Payload capacity:

LEO	16000 kg to 400 km / 51.6 deg
GTO	10865 kg

The Ariane 5ECA (Evolution Cryotechnique type A), first successfully flown in 2005, used an improved Vulcain 2 first-stage engine with a longer, more efficient nozzle with a more efficient flow cycle and denser propellant ratio. The new ratio required length modifications to the first-stage tanks. The EPS second stage was replaced by the ESC-A (Etage Supérieur Cryogénique-A), which had a dry weight of 4,540 kg (10,010 lb) and was powered by an HM-7B engine burning 14,900 kg (32,800 lb) of cryogenic propellant.

The ESC-A used the liquid oxygen tank and lower structure from the Ariane 4's H10 third stage, mated to a new liquid hydrogen tank. Additionally, the EAP booster casings were lightened with new welds and carry more propellant. The Ariane 5ECA started with a GTO launch capacity of 9,100 kg (20,100 lb) for dual payloads or 9,600 kg (21,200 lb) for a single payload. Later batches: PB+ and PC, increased the max payload to GTO to 11,115 kg (24,504 lb).

The upgraded ECA+ used an improved ESC-D (Etage Supérieur Cryogénique-D).

Ariane 5 G+

First launch	2004-03-02
Boosters	2
Mass	746 t

Payload capacity:

GTO	6900 kg

An improved version of the initial Ariane 5G. The lighter P2001 nozzle on the EAP boosters was introduced. EPS upper stage was modified by increasing capacity of the two MMH tanks (+ 300 kg of ergols) and modified mixture ratio of the Aestus engine. The vehicle equipment bay (VEB) was also modified: the aluminium structure was replaced with a lighter composite version; a new separation system for the VEB and the main stage to reduce the shock created during separation; new electrical equipment and components. All these modifications led to an increase in performance for a standard geostationary transfer orbit of 150 kg net payload. The Ariane 5G+ operated flawlessly on the three launches made in 2004.

Ariane 5 GS

First launch	2005-08-11
Boosters	2
Mass	750 t

Payload capacity:

GTO	6500 kg

At the time of the failure of the first Ariane 5ECA flight in 2002, all Ariane 5 launchers in production were ECA versions. Some of the ECA cores were modified to use the original Vulcain engine and tank volumes while the failure was investigated; these vehicles were designated Ariane 5GS. The GS used the improved EAP boosters of the ECA variant and the improved EPS of the G+ variant, but the increased mass of the modified ECA core compared to the G and G+ core resulted in slightly reduced payload capacity. Ariane 5GS could carry a single payload of 6,600 kg (14,600 lb) or a dual payload of 5,800 kg (12,800 lb) to GTO. The Ariane 5GS flew 6 times from 2005 to 2009 with no failures.

Ariane 5 ES

First launch	2008-03-09
Boosters	2
Mass	775 t
Height	50.4 m

Payload capacity:

LEO	20000 kg to 260 km / 51.6 deg

The Ariane 5ES (Evolution Storable) had an estimated LEO launch capacity of 21,000 kg (46,000 lb). It included all the performance improvements of Ariane 5ECA core and boosters but replaced the ESC-A second stage with the restartable EPS used on Ariane 5GS variants. It was used to launch the Automated Transfer Vehicle (ATV) into a 260 km (160 mi) circular low Earth orbit inclined at 51.6° and was used 3 times to launch 4 Galileo navigation satellites at a time directly into their operational orbit. The Ariane 5ES flew 8 times from 2008 to 2018 with no failures.

Ariane 5 ME

Boosters	2

The Ariane 5ME (Mid-life Evolution) was under development until December 2014 when funding was cut in favour of developing Ariane 6. Last activities for Ariane 5ME were completed at the end of 2015. Vinci upper stage engine, under development for the 5ME, transferred to Ariane 6.