September 11, 2003
The Ariane serie at a glance
From Ariane 1 to Ariane 5
| Launcher | Ariane 1 | Ariane 2 | Ariane 3 | Ariane 4 | Ariane 5 |
| Launch mass | 210 t | 219 t | 234 t | 243 to 480 t | 750 to 780 t |
| Geostationary transfer orbit lift capacity | 1.75 t | 2.20 t | 2.60 t | 2 to 4.8 t | 6.9 to 10 t |
| Thrust* | 250 t | 270 t | 270 t | 270 to 540 t | 1 200 to 1 300 t |
| Height | 47.4 m | 49 m | 49 m | 59 m | 47 to 57 m |
| Launches | 11 | 6 | 11 | 116 | 49 ** |
| Successes | 9 | 5 | 10 | 113 | 46** |
| Design lifetime | 1981/1986 | 1986/1989 | 1984/1989 | 1988/2003 | 1996/... |
* Thrust is measured in kilo-newtons (kN) but is commonly expressed in tonnes. To interpret the value of a force expressed in kN, divide it by ten to obtain a figure roughly corresponding to the mass (in tonnes) that the force can lift.
** Figures on 1st January, 2010
About Ariane 5
| Launcher | Ariane 5 G | Ariane 5 G+ | Ariane 5 GS | Ariane 5 ECA | Ariane ES ATV |
| Height | Up to 52 m | Up to 52 m | Up to 47 m | Up to 52 m | Up to 53 m |
| Launch mass | 746 t | 746 t | 750 t | 780 t | 775 t |
| Satellite mass for simple launch | 6,9 t (GTO1) | 6,9 t (GTO1) | 6,5 t (GTO1) | 10 t (GTO1) | Up to 21 t (on low-Earth orbit at a 300 km altitude) |
| Satellite mass for dual launch | 5,9 t (GTO1) | - | 6 t (GTO1) | 9,4 t (GTO1) | - |
| Engine | Vulcain | Vulcain | Vulcain | Vulcain 2 | Vulcain 2 |
| Upper stage | Storable Propellant stage (EPS) with Aestus engine | Storable Propellant stage (EPS) with Aestus engine | Storable Propellant stage (EPS) with Aestus engine | Cryogenic upper stage ESC-A with HM-7B engine | Storable Propellant stage (EPS) with Aestus engine |
| Other changes | - | Improvement of the Storable Propellant stage (EPS) performance | Improvement of the Storable Propellant stage (EPS) and EAP2 boosters performances | Improvement of the EAP2 boosters performances | Changes on the Vehicule Equipment Bay for the ATV |
| 1er launch | 4 June 1996 (failed) | 2 March 2004 | 11 August 2005 | 11 December 2002 (failed) | 9 March 2008 |
| Launches* | 16 | 3 | 6 | 23 | 1 |
| Successes* | 14 | 3 | 6 | 22 | 1 |
* Figures on 1st January 2010
1 GTO : Geostationary Transfert Orbit
2 EAP : Etages d'Accélération à Poudre, solid booster stages
Ariane 5 ECA
| Ariane 5 ECA key figures | |
| Total launch mass | 780 t |
| Satellite mass | 9.4 t |
| Total propellant mass | 650 t |
| Main Vulcain engine thrust at lift-off | 116 t |
| Thrust from the 2 solid rocket boosters | 1,370 t |
| Total height | 53 m |