3d model ariane 4 esa european - ARIANE 4 ESA EUROPEAN SPACE ROCKET by De Espona

The development program began in 1983 and the first successful launch was on 15 June 1988. The system became the basis for a European satellite launching program with a stellar record of 113 successful missions and only three launch 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.

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

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.