Ariane 2

Ariane 2 was a European expendable launch vehicle of the Ariane family, operated by the European Space Agency between 1986 and 1989. Aérospatiale was its principal manufacturer, while the French space agency CNES led its development, which was authorised in July 1979, months before the first Ariane 1 flight. It drew heavily on the design and launch infrastructure of Ariane 1 and was developed alongside the Ariane 3, to which it is largely identical except that it lacks the extra solid rocket boosters. Longer third stage tanks, higher combustion pressure and a new fuel mixture raised its capacity to 2,175 kg to geostationary transfer orbit. It first flew on 31 May 1986, and an ignition fault in the third stage grounded the Ariane family until September 1987.