LEGO Designer:
Florentin Möller (SkySaac)
Designed:
November 2021
Categories:
All, Heavy Lift Launch Vehicles, Launch Vehicles, Space Agency - ESA
The latest version of the Ariane 5 launcher, Ariane 5 ECA, is designed to place payloads weighing up to 9.6 tonnes into GTO. With its increased capacity, Ariane 5 ECA can handle dual launches of very large satellites.
This version of the Ariane 5 will help to maintain Europe’s competitiveness in the commercial space transport sector by offering customers the opportunity to launch a wider range of heavier satellites while reducing launcher production costs.
Ariane 5 ECA is an improved Ariane 5 Generic launcher. Although it has the same general architecture, a number of major changes were made to the basic structure of the Ariane 5 Generic version to increase thrust and enable it to carry heavier payloads into orbit.
Solid boosters (EAP)
The EAP boosters’ upper segment of the Ariane 5 ECA (also known as segment S1) carries 10% (2.5 tonnes) more propellant. This extra propellant gives the Ariane 5 ECA an additional 50 tonnes of thrust in the first 20 seconds following liftoff. This means that together the twin boosters deliver a thrust of 1300 tonnes at liftoff, nearly 10 times the level delivered by the new engine of the central stage.
The boosters are also equipped with a new nozzle that has fewer parts and is easier and cheaper to produce.
Main stage (EPC and Vulcain 2 engine)
An improved version of the Vulcain engine was developed and used on the Ariane 5 ECA version. The Vulcain cryogenic engine was modified to increase its thrust by 20%, up to 137 tonnes. This new Vulcain 2 operates under slightly higher pressure with a mixture ratio that has 20% more liquid oxygen than the Vulcain 1. Because of this change in the mixture, a new oxygen turbopump was developed.
In addition, the Vulcain 2 turbopump exhausts are reinjected into the main system, thus improving engine performance at high altitude. The Vulcain 2 engine is a key contributor to the additional lift capability of the new Ariane 5 ECA version into GTO.
To hold the extra liquid oxygen needed for the EPC core stage, the capacity of the liquid oxygen tank has been increased by 16 tonnes. This was achieved by relocating the common tank bulkhead between the liquid oxygen tank and the liquid hydrogen tank of the Ariane 5 Generic EPC stage and reinforcing the structure elements.
The new fuel load capacity of the EPC is Liquid oxygen: 150 tonnes, Liquid hydrogen: 25 tonnes
The EPC stage operates for nearly 540 seconds. It also performs the roll control function during all its propulsion phase. At shut down, at an altitude between 160 km and 210 km depending on the mission’s trajectory, the EPC stage separates from the upper composite and reenters the atmosphere above the Atlantic Ocean.
The core and boosters are based on moppes A5.And there’s a small JWST (James Webb Space Telescope) inside ;)It works nicely with the whole Ariane 5 Collection, which aside from the rocket itself includes the Mobile Transporter as well as the GSE Tower.
Part count: 1256 bricks, 185 lots.
| Unit | width | length | height |
|---|---|---|---|
| Studs | 14.0 | 7.3 | 61.4 |
| Inches | 4.4 | 2.3 | 19.4 |
| Centimetres | 11.2 | 5.8 | 49.2 |
No. Type TypeNo Fai Serial Date LS Payload
14 Ariane-5ECA 1 L V-157 / L517 11.12.2002 Ko ELA-3 F Hotbird 7 / Stentor / MFD A / MFD B
21 Ariane-5ECA 2 M V-164 / L521 12.02.2005 Ko ELA-3 XTAR-EUR / MaqSat B2 / Sloshsat-FLEVO
24 Ariane-5ECA 3 M V-167 / L522 16.11.2005 Ko ELA-3 Spaceway 2 / Telkom 2
26 Ariane-5ECA 4 L V-170 / L527 11.03.2006 Ko ELA-3 SpainSat 1 / Hotbird 7A
27 Ariane-5ECA 5 L V-171 / L529 27.05.2006 Ko ELA-3 SATMEX 6 / Thaicom 5
28 Ariane-5ECA 6 M V-172 / L531 11.08.2006 Ko ELA-3 JCSat 10 / Syracuse 3B
29 Ariane-5ECA 7 L V-173 / L533 13.10.2006 Ko ELA-3 DirecTV 9S / Optus D1 / LDREX 2
30 Ariane-5ECA 8 M V-174 / L534 08.12.2006 Ko ELA-3 WildBlue 1 / AMC 18
31 Ariane-5ECA 9 L V-175 / L535 11.03.2007 Ko ELA-3 Skynet 5A / Insat 4B
32 Ariane-5ECA 10 L V-176 / L536 04.05.2007 Ko ELA-3 Astra 1L / Galaxy 17
33 Ariane-5ECA 11 L V-177 / L537 14.08.2007 Ko ELA-3 Spaceway 3 / BSat 3a
35 Ariane-5ECA 12 L V-179 / L538 14.11.2007 Ko ELA-3 Skynet 5B / Star One C1
38 Ariane-5ECA 13 L V-182 / L539 18.04.2008 Ko ELA-3 Star One C2 / VINASAT 1
39 Ariane-5ECA 14 L V-183 / L540 12.06.2008 Ko ELA-3 Skynet 5C / Türksat 3A
40 Ariane-5ECA 15 L V-184 / L541 07.07.2008 Ko ELA-3 ProtoStar 1 / Arabsat 4AR (Badr 6)
41 Ariane-5ECA 16 L V-185 / L542 14.08.2008 Ko ELA-3 Superbird 7 / AMC 21
42 Ariane-5ECA 17 L V-186 / L543 20.12.2008 Ko ELA-3 Hotbird 9 / Eutelsat W2M
43 Ariane-5ECA 18 L V-187 / L545 12.02.2009 Ko ELA-3 Hotbird 10 / NSS 9 / SPIRALE A / SPIRALE B
44 Ariane-5ECA 19 L V-188 / L546 14.05.2009 Ko ELA-3 Herschel / Planck
45 Ariane-5ECA 20 L V-189 / L547 01.07.2009 Ko ELA-3 TerreStar 1
46 Ariane-5ECA 21 L V-190 / L548 21.08.2009 Ko ELA-3 JCSat 12 / Optus D3
47 Ariane-5ECA 22 L V-191 / L549 01.10.2009 Ko ELA-3 Amazonas 2 / COMSATBw 1
48 Ariane-5ECA 23 L V-192 / L550 29.10.2009 Ko ELA-3 NSS 12 / Thor 6
50 Ariane-5ECA 24 L V-194 / L551 21.05.2010 Ko ELA-3 Astra 3B / COMSATBw 2
51 Ariane-5ECA 25 L V-195 / L552 26.06.2010 Ko ELA-3 Arabsat 5A / COMS 1
52 Ariane-5ECA 26 L V-196 / L554 04.08.2010 Ko ELA-3 Nilesat 201 / RASCOM-QAF 1R
53 Ariane-5ECA 27 L V-197 / L555 28.10.2010 Ko ELA-3 Eutelsat W3B / BSat 3b
54 Ariane-5ECA 28 L V-198 / L556 26.11.2010 Ko ELA-3 Intelsat 17 / HYLAS 1
55 Ariane-5ECA 29 L V-199 / L557 29.12.2010 Ko ELA-3 Hispasat 1E / Koreasat 6
57 Ariane-5ECA 30 L VA-201 / L558 22.04.2011 Ko ELA-3 YahSat 1A / New Dawn
58 Ariane-5ECA 31 L VA-202 / L559 20.05.2011 Ko ELA-3 ST 2 / GSat 8
59 Ariane-5ECA 32 L VA-203 / L560 06.08.2011 Ko ELA-3 Astra 1N / BSat 3c/JCSAT 110R
60 Ariane-5ECA 33 L VA-204 / L561 21.09.2011 Ko ELA-3 Arabsat 5C / SES 2
62 Ariane-5ECA 34 L VA-206 / L562 15.05.2012 Ko ELA-3 JCSat 13 / VINASAT 2
63 Ariane-5ECA 35 L VA-207 / L563 05.07.2012 Ko ELA-3 Jupiter 1 (EchoStar 17) / MSG 3
64 Ariane-5ECA 36 L VA-208 / L564 02.08.2012 Ko ELA-3 Intelsat 20 / HYLAS 2
65 Ariane-5ECA 37 L VA-209 / L565 28.09.2012 Ko ELA-3 Astra 2F / GSAT 10
66 Ariane-5ECA 38 L VA-210 / L566 10.11.2012 Ko ELA-3 Eutelsat 21B / Star One C3
67 Ariane-5ECA 39 L VA-211 / L567 19.12.2012 Ko ELA-3 Skynet 5D / MEXSAT 3
68 Ariane-5ECA 40 L VA-212 / L568 07.02.2013 Ko ELA-3 Amazonas 3 / Azerspace/Africasat 1a
70 Ariane-5ECA 41 L VA-214 / L569 25.07.2013 Ko ELA-3 Alphasat / Insat 3D
71 Ariane-5ECA 42 L VA-215 / L570 29.08.2013 Ko ELA-3 Eutelsat 25B/Es'hail 1 / GSAT 7
72 Ariane-5ECA 43 L VA-217 / L572 06.02.2014 Ko ELA-3 ABS 2 / Athena-Fidus
73 Ariane-5ECA 44 L VA-216 / L571 22.03.2014 Ko ELA-3 Astra 5B / Amazonas 4A
75 Ariane-5ECA 45 L VA-218 / L573 11.09.2014 Ko ELA-3 MEASAT 3b / Optus 10
76 Ariane-5ECA 46 L VA-220 / L574 16.10.2014 Ko ELA-3 Intelsat 30 (DLA 1) / ARSAT 1
77 Ariane-5ECA 47 L VA-221 / L575 06.12.2014 Ko ELA-3 DirecTV 14 / GSat 16
78 Ariane-5ECA 48 L VA-222 / L576 26.04.2015 Ko ELA-3 Thor 7 / SICRAL 2
79 Ariane-5ECA 49 L VA-223 / L577 27.05.2015 Ko ELA-3 DirecTV 15 / Sky-Mexico 1
80 Ariane-5ECA 50 L VA-224 / L578 15.07.2015 Ko ELA-3 Star One C4 / MSG 4
81 Ariane-5ECA 51 L VA-225 / L579 20.08.2015 Ko ELA-3 Eutelsat 8 West B / Intelsat 34
82 Ariane-5ECA 52 L VA-226 / L580 30.09.2015 Ko ELA-3 NBN-Co 1A / ARSAT 2
83 Ariane-5ECA 53 L VA-227 / L581 10.11.2015 Ko ELA-3 Arabsat 6B (Badr 7) / GSat 15
84 Ariane-5ECA 54 L VA-228 / L583 27.01.2016 Ko ELA-3 Intelsat 29e
85 Ariane-5ECA 55 L VA-229 / L582 09.03.2016 Ko ELA-3 Eutelsat 65 West A
86 Ariane-5ECA 56 L VA-230 / L584 18.06.2016 Ko ELA-3 EchoStar 18 / BRIsat
87 Ariane-5ECA 57 L VA-232 / L586 24.08.2016 Ko ELA-3 Intelsat 33e / Intelsat 36
88 Ariane-5ECA 58 L VA-231 / L585 05.10.2016 Ko ELA-3 NBN-Co 1B / GSat 18
90 Ariane-5ECA 59 L VA-234 / L587 21.12.2016 Ko ELA-3 Star One D1 / JCSat 15
91 Ariane-5ECA 60 L VA-235 / L588 14.02.2017 Ko ELA-3 Sky-Brasil 1 / Telkom 3S
92 Ariane-5ECA 61 L VA-236 / L589 04.05.2017 Ko ELA-3 SGDC 1 / Koreasat 7
93 Ariane-5ECA 62 L VA-237 / L590 01.06.2017 Ko ELA-3 ViaSat 2 / Eutelsat 172B
94 Ariane-5ECA 63 L VA-238 / L591 28.06.2017 Ko ELA-3 HellasSat 3/Inmarsat-S-EAN / GSat 17
95 Ariane-5ECA 64 L VA-239 / L5100 29.09.2017 Ko ELA-3 Intelsat 37e / BSat 4a
97 Ariane-5ECA 65 L VA-241 / L5101 25.01.2018 Ko ELA-3 P SES 14/GOLD / Al Yah 3
98 Ariane-5ECA 66 L VA-242 / L5102 05.04.2018 Ko ELA-3 DSN 1/Superbird 8 / HYLAS 4
100 Ariane-5ECA 67 L VA-243 / L5103 25.09.2018 Ko ELA-3 Horizons 3e / Azerspace 2/Intelsat 38
101 Ariane-5ECA 68 L VA-245 / L5105 20.10.2018 Ko ELA-3 BepiColombo-MPO / BepiColombo-MMO
102 Ariane-5ECA 69 L VA-246 / L5104a 04.12.2018 Ko ELA-3 GSat 11 / GEO-KOMPSAT 2A
103 Ariane-5ECA 70 L VA-247 / L5106 05.02.2019 Ko ELA-3 HellasSat 4/SaudiGeoSat 1 / GSat 31
104 Ariane-5ECA 71 L VA-248 / L5107 20.06.2019 Ko ELA-3 AT&T T-16 / Eutelsat 7C
106 Ariane-5ECA 72 L VA-250 / L5108 26.11.2019 Ko ELA-3 Tiba 1 / Inmarsat-5 F5 (GX 5)
Failures:
Flight 14: Vulcain-2 engine failed
Flight 97: Vehicle entered orbit with wrong inclination of 20.6° instead of 3° due to data input mistake
Launch sites:
Ko = Centre Spatial Guyanais (CSG), Kourou, French Guiana, France
Launch History information from space.skyrocket.de
Launch History information from space.skyrocket.de
