Ariane 2 and Ariane 3

Ariane 2 and Ariane 3 were expendable launch systems in the Ariane family designed by the Centre National d'Etudes Spatiales.They were almost identical, but Ariane 3 was equipped with strap-on boosters.They were the successors to Ariane 1 and predecessors of the Ariane 4.

Technical details

Ariane 2 and 3 had the same basic design as Ariane 1, but with increased thrust of first and second stage engines, a taller third stage, and a larger internal payload fairing volume.In addition Ariane 3 had two strap-on solid rocket boosters.Their payload capacity was 2175 to 2580 kg.

They were three-stage rockets:
* The first stage was equipped with four N2O4/UH 25 (mixture 75% UDMH and 25% Hydrazine) bipropellant engines.
* The second and third stages each had a single bipropellant engine. The second stage uses N2O4/UH 25 and the third stage LOX/Hydrogen [http://www.esa.int/images/a_123_img.jpglink title]

Launch history

The first launch of Ariane 2 was on 30 May 1986 and was a failure.The remaining launches were all successful.There were only six flights of Ariane 2, the last being on 2 April 1989.

The first launch of Ariane 3 was on 4 August 1984, almost two years before Ariane 2.In total there were 11 flights; only the fifth failed.

The small number of flights of Ariane 2 & 3 was due to the arrival of the much more versatile and powerful Ariane 4.