Ariane 4 was a European expendable launch vehicle developed by the French space agency CNES for the European Space Agency and flown between 1988 and 2003. It was an evolution of Ariane 3 with a stretched first stage holding 210 tonnes of propellant, and it could be fitted with a range of solid or liquid strap-on boosters, giving six variants. Aérospatiale was main contractor for its first and second stages, working with Messerschmitt-Bölkow-Blohm, Société Européenne de Propulsion and other firms from eleven supporting countries. The SPELDA carrier let it launch two satellites at once. Its first successful launch was on 15 June 1988. It flew 116 times with 113 successes and took about half of the commercial satellite launch market before Arianespace retired it in February 2003 in favour of Ariane 5.
Facts
Engine Class Maximum Mass (kg) Connections
Exemplifies
Source Ariane 4 (Wikipedia)
Of Make
Source Ariane 4 (Wikipedia)
Sources
1. Ariane 4 (Wikipedia)
Development, Teaming and construction
On 15 June 1988, the first successful launch of the Ariane 4 was conducted.
Operational history
On 15 February 2003, the final launch of Ariane 4 rocket occurred
Design, AR 40 version
Main power was provided by four Viking 2B motors, each producing 667 kN (150,000 lbf) of thrust.
Design, AR 40 version, engine
Main power was provided by four Viking 2B motors
Design, AR 44L version
weighing 470,000 kg (1,040,000 lb)
Development, Teaming and construction, manufacturer
The main contractors were Aérospatiale (responsible for the first and second stages)
Lead
developed by the Centre national d'études spatiales (CNES), the French space agency, for the European Space Agency (ESA)
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