Ariane 1
| Company type | Launch vehicle |
|---|---|
| Industry | Aerospace, space launch |
| Founded | 1973 |
| Founder | European Space Agency (ESA) |
| Headquarters | Kourou , French Guiana |
Area served | Global (commercial satellite launches) |
Key people | Jean Charbonnel (named the rocket) |
| Products | Expendable launch system for commercial satellites |
| Parent | European Space Agency (ESA) |
Ariane 1 () represented the first launch vehicle in the Ariane series of expendable launch systems, developed and managed by the European Space Agency (ESA) after its establishment in 1973. Spearheaded by Aérospatiale, Ariane 1 was engineered specifically to place commercial satellites into geosynchronous orbit. One of its primary commercial advantages was the ability to carry two satellites on a single mission, thereby lowering overall launch expenses.
As satellite dimensions grew, Ariane 1 was replaced by the more capable Ariane 2 and Ariane 3, which largely preserved Ariane 1's foundational design. The Ariane 4 also incorporated many elements from Ariane 1’s technology, while the subsequent Ariane 5 introduced considerably new systems.
Origins
The formation of the European Space Agency (ESA) in 1975 by ten European nations marked a collaborative effort in space exploration. Before ESA's inception, France championed the development of a novel European expendable launch system to succeed the Europa rocket. An early successor concept, named Europa IIIB, proved too costly and ambitious, prompting a scaled-down alternative called L3S. This initiative prioritized multinational collaboration, initially between Germany and France, with growing participation from other member states.
In January 1973, German Chancellor Willy Brandt endorsed the L3S project following talks with French President Georges Pompidou. The legal framework for L3S development was formalized on 21 September 1973, simultaneously terminating Europa III. The launcher was purpose-built for deploying commercial satellites into geosynchronous orbit, setting it apart from other vehicles adapted from military designs such as ballistic missiles. Brian Harvey described L3S development as "one of the major European engineering projects in the last quarter of the century," highlighting its importance to ESA’s future.
France held the largest share in the project; aerospace company Aérospatiale acted as prime contractor responsible for vehicle integration. Société Européenne de Propulsion (SEP), a French engine manufacturer, supplied propulsion units for the first two stages, while third-stage engines were provided by French firm Air Liquide and German company MBB. Other significant contributors included French electronics firm Matra, Swedish manufacturer Volvo, and German aircraft maker Dornier Flugzeugwerke. The United Kingdom, with a 2.47% stake, contributed guidance systems developed by Ferranti along with central digital computers from Marconi, later joined by British Aerospace. The name Ariane was selected by French minister Jean Charbonnel over alternatives like Phoenix and Vega to enhance public recognition.
Preparation
By mid-1974, Ariane’s development was briefly paused due to budgetary constraints; other French space projects also encountered delays and funding challenges, which led to increased financial backing from the French government for its national space agency, the Centre national d'études spatiales (CNES). A critical focus was on developing the third stage featuring a hydrogen-fueled upper stage—a technology previously flown only by the United States. Preparations and testing for Ariane’s inaugural launch took place during 1977–78; although some ground tests revealed issues, no major setbacks occurred. ESA planned four developmental flights before commencing commercial launches, offering limited launch opportunities without guaranteed success.
The Guiana Space Centre at Kourou, French Guiana underwent significant modernization to accommodate Ariane missions. The former Europa launch area became known as ELA 1 (Ensemble de Lancement Ariane 1), featuring a lowered launch platform and an extended tower. While launches were conducted in French Guiana, rocket assembly was carried out at Aérospatiale’s Les Mureaux facility near Paris. Components were transported via barge along the Seine River to Le Havre, then shipped by sea to Kourou before final overland delivery by road and rail. Fully assembled rockets were moved on mobile platforms into air-conditioned service towers at the launch site where payload integration and final verifications were conducted under clean room conditions.
Prior to Ariane’s maiden flight, doubts—particularly from American and British commentators—surfaced regarding the program’s cost-effectiveness and competitiveness against NASA’s forthcoming partially reusable Space Shuttle. By 1977, only three initial customers had been secured; however, in December that year, satellite operator Intelsat placed an order for two Intelsat IV satellites to be launched aboard Ariane vehicles—a notable achievement given Intelsat’s previous commitment to using the Space Shuttle. Shortly thereafter, ESA confirmed production of ten Ariane 1 rockets.
Maiden flight
There was considerable pressure to complete Ariane's maiden flight before the close of 1979. The initial launch was scheduled for 15 December 1979, with the countdown commencing 38 hours earlier. A technical problem arose within the final hour, leading to an abort; however, instead of postponing for a month, the countdown was restarted. At ignition, three seconds after liftoff, the onboard computer shut down engine thrust due to erroneous sensor readings suggesting a loss of engine pressure. A subsequent launch attempt on 24 December was successful, with French President Valéry Giscard d'Estaing personally initiating the launch sequence.
The inaugural mission, designated L-O1 (Lancement 01), carried the CAT (Capsule Ariane Technologique), an Aeritalia-manufactured test instrumentation payload designed to monitor ascent variables such as noise, structural stress, acceleration, temperature, and pressure—mimicking an actual satellite payload. CAT was successfully deployed into orbit, effectively ending the American dominance over commercial satellite launches. This achievement led CNES and ESA to establish Arianespace on 26 March 1980 to oversee promotion, marketing, and operational management of Ariane launches.
Design
Ariane 1 had a liftoff mass of , enabling it to transport one satellite or two smaller payloads up to into geostationary transfer orbit (GTO). The development program cost totaled roughly 2 billion euros.
The rocket consisted of three stages: the first stage was powered by four Viking engines supplied by Société Européenne de Propulsion, the second stage utilized a single Viking engine, and the third stage employed a LOX/LH2 bipropellant engine delivering approximately thrust. Satellites destined for geostationary orbit (GEO) required additional onboard propulsion to maneuver from GTO to their final orbit.
This structural design approach was maintained throughout the Ariane series up until Ariane 4.
Launches
The maiden Ariane launch, L-O1, took place on 24 December 1979 and achieved success. However, the second launch, L-O2, in 1980 ended in failure shortly after liftoff due to combustion instability in one of the Viking engines on the first stage. The third and fourth qualification flights, L-O3 and L-04, were successful; notably, the third placed three satellites into orbit simultaneously. The fifth mission, L5, marked Ariane's first commercial flight but failed seven minutes after launch because of a turbopump malfunction in the third stage, triggering an extensive redesign effort.
The failure during this initial commercial mission attracted criticism and prompted a thorough review of the program. Success came with the second commercial flight, L6, on 16 June 1983, which initiated a streak of six consecutive successful launches. By early 1984, Ariane had secured contracts for 27 satellites, capturing half of the worldwide market share. Following these achievements, operational responsibility for Ariane transferred to Arianespace after completing its tenth mission.
Significantly, the tenth Ariane 1 flight, V-14 on 2 July 1985, successfully launched the Giotto space probe. The eleventh and final Ariane 1 mission occurred on 22 February 1986 and placed the inaugural SPOT satellite into orbit. By early 1986, Ariane 1 along with its successors Ariane 2 and Ariane 3 had established dominance over the global launcher market.
Launch history
10 V-14 2 July 1985 ELA-1GiottoTemplate:Success[1] 11 V-16 22 February 1986 ELA-1SPOT 1VikingTemplate:Success[1] Final flight
| # | Flight | Date | Launch Pad | Payload | Outcome | Reference | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | L-01 | 24 December 1979 | ELA-1 | CAT-1 | Template:Success | [1] | Inaugural flight |
| 2 | L-02 | 23 May 1980 | ELA-1 | Firewheel Subsat-1,2,3,4 Amsat P3A CAT 2 |
Template:Failure | [1] | Combustion instability in Viking engine |
| 3 | L-03 | 19 June 1981 | ELA-1 | Meteosat 2 APPLE CAT 3 |
Template:Success | [1] | |
| 4 | L-04 | 20 December 1981 | ELA-1 | MARECS 1 CAT 4 |
Template:Success | [1] | |
| 5 | L-5 | 9 September 1982 | ELA-1 | MARECS B Sirio 2 |
Template:Failure | [1] | First commercial flight; turbopump failure in third stage |
| 6 | L-6 | 16 June 1983 | ELA-1 | ECS 1 Amsat P3B (Oscar 10) |
Template:Success | [1] | |
| 7 | L-7 | 19 October 1983 | ELA-1 | Intelsat 507 | Template:Success | [1] | |
| 8 | L-8 | 5 March 1984 | ELA-1 | Intelsat 508 | Template:Success | [1] | |
| 9 | V-9 | 23 May 1984 | ELA-1 | Spacenet 1 | Template:Success | [1] | |
Bibliography
- Harvey, Brian. Europe's Space Programme: To Ariane and Beyond. Springer Science & Business Media, 2003. .