Ariane 4

Ariane 4 was an expendable launch system, designed by the European Space Agency and manufactured and marketed by its subsidiary Arianespace.

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The development program began in 1983 and the first successful launch was on 15 June 1988. The system has become the basis for European satellite launch with a stellar record of 104 successful missions and only three launcher failures. Ariane 4 provided a payload increase from 1700 kg for Ariane 3 to a maximum of 4800 kg to geostationary transfer orbit (GTO). The record for Ariane 4 to GTO was 4946 kg.

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The rocket was used in a number of variants - it could be fitted with two or four additional solid or liquid fuelled booster rockets. The launcher included a satellite payload carrier system called Spelda (Structure Porteuse Externe pour Lancements Doubles Ariane) for launching more than one satellite at a time.

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Ariane 4 AR 40 was the basic version, with three stages: 58.4 m high, a diameter of 3.8 m, a liftoff mass of 245 t and a maximum payload of 2100 kg to GTO or 5000 kg to Low Earth orbit (LEO). Main power was from four Viking 5 motors each producing 667 kN of thrust; the second stage had a single Viking motor; and the third stage had an HM7 liquid oxygen/liquid hydrogen motor. AR 44L, with the maximum additional boost of four liquid fuel rocket strap-ons, was four-stage, weighed 470 t and could transfer a payload of 4730 kg to GTO or 7600 kg to LEO.

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ModelLaunchesSuccessesFailure date

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AR 4077-

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AR 42L1212-

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AR 42P14131 December 1994

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AR 44L343322 February 1990

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AR 44LP262524 January 1994

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AR 44P1515-

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Ariane 4 has accomplished more than 100 flights with a success rate of more than 96%.

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Ariane 4 was phased out in favour of Ariane 5, which can carry heavier payloads.

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The final launch was on 15 February, 2003, placing Intelsat 907 into geosynchronous orbit.

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Expendable launch system: An expendable launch system is a single-use launch vehicle usually used to launch a payload into space. This is in opposition to a reusable launch system where a single launch vehicle is launched more than once....

European Space Agency: :This article is about the European Space Agency. For other meanings of ESA, see ESA (disambiguation)....

1983: 1983 is a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar....