Ariane 1 maiden flight

 

The launch of the Ariane 1 on its maiden flight from the Guiana Space Centre on December 24, 1979. Credit: ESA

The maiden flight of the Ariane 1 launch vehicle, flight L-01, was launched from the ELA-1 complex at the Guiana Space Centre in Kourou, French Guiana, on December 24, 1979, at 17:14:38 UTC. The payload consisted of a test instrumentation system, known as CAT (Capsule Ariane Technologique), for the purpose of measuring all key stages of the ascent in great detail, such as noise, stress, acceleration, temperature, and pressure. This unit was also designed to simulate a real satellite payload. CAT was successfully placed into an orbit of 202 by 35,753 km.

   Ariane 1 was the first rocket in the Ariane family of expendable launch systems. It was developed and operated by the European Space Agency (ESA). Development of the Ariane 1 was authorised in July 1973, took eight years, and cost 2 billion 1986 Euros. Ariane 1 was the first launcher to be developed with the primary purpose of sending commercial satellites into geosynchronous orbit. It was a three-stage vehicle with a lift-off mass of 210,000 kg. The first stage was equipped with four N2O4 / UDMH bipropellant Viking engines, the second stage had a single Viking engine, and the third stage had one LOX / LH2 bipropellant HM7-A engine. The vehicle was able to put in geostationary transfer orbit one satellite or two smaller with a maximal weight of 1,850 kg. The payload capacity to low Earth orbit was 4,850 kg.

   There have been a total of eleven Ariane 1 launches, with nine successes and two failures. The last launch took place on February 22, 1986. 

A cutaway view of the first European launch vehicle, Ariane 1, as envisioned by Ariane project engineers in August 1978 - just over one year before its maiden launch from Europe's Spaceport in French Guiana. This diagram was published in an article called 'The Ariane Launcher and its Progress' in ESA Bulletin no. 15. At this point, development was well under way with key milestones such as fairing separation tests and firing tests already completed. Credit: ESA

Ariane 1 on the ELA-1 launch pad. Credit: ESA
 

The launch of Ariane 1 flight L-01. Credit: ESA

 

© 2025, Andrew Mirecki

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