Abstract Ariane 5 entered commercial service in December 1999, and Arianespace decided in January 2000 to stop the production of Ariane 4. These two events represent a key evolution in the European launch policy. After 20 years of being in a leading position in the commercial market, thanks to the Ariane 1 to 4 family, the European launch industry will rely on Ariane 5 to continue to be a key actor in the launch services arena in the next 10 to 15 years. Ariane 5 is a good solution for the present conditions of the commercial space transportation market, but it is generally acknowledged that this market will evolve further in two key aspects: Stronger competition Increase of mass of GEO satellites. The European Ariane community is already coping with these challenges, through the optimization of Ariane 5 production, and the development of new configurations of the launcher (Ariane 5 Plus program), which will offer a progressive increase of performance.
Ariane 5 Evolutions: Fitting the Market Needs
2000-01-01
8 pages
Article/Chapter (Book)
Electronic Resource
English
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