Ariane 5 - европейская лестница в космос
Video from the channel SkyShips about Ariane 5, linked on its Above Ten Thousand entry. Duration: 17:52. Video type: Documentary.
What it's about
Russian-language explainer video from the Skyships channel that presents Ariane 5, the European heavy launcher operated by Arianespace, and covers its architecture, versions and launch record.
Historical context
The author starts with the Ariane family. Arianespace was founded in 1980 as a commercial launch operator, and the launcher evolved from Ariane 1 to Ariane 4, which flew 116 times through 2003. In the late 1980s it was decided to develop a new launcher, Ariane 5, which was also meant to be able to launch the Hermes mini-shuttle, a project that never reached space. The first launch, on 4 June 1996, failed due to a control-system fault. The second, in October 1997, was a partial success because of a Vulcain engine problem, and the third, in 1998, went well.
Key facts
The EPC main stage is 30.5 m tall and 5.4 m in diameter and burns liquid oxygen and hydrogen. Its Vulcain engine was replaced from 2002 by the Vulcain 2 and burns for about 600 seconds. The two solid EAP boosters are 31.6 m long and provide most of the thrust at lift-off. The upper stage moved from storable propellants, with the Aestus engine, to a cryogenic stage with the HM7B in the ECA version. For dual launches, the SYLDA and SPELTRA structures are used. The video cites a record of 10,865 kg with ViaSat-2 and Eutelsat 172B and five ATV cargo vehicles launched between 2008 and 2014. By early 2020 it had reached 107 launches, 102 of them fully successful. It ends with the arrival of Ariane 6.