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Ariane 4

Ariane 4 was the modular final evolution of the original Ariane technology line and the commercial workhorse of European launch services from 1988 through 2003. Its six configurations flew 116 missions: 7 Ariane 40, 15 Ariane 42P, 13 Ariane 42L, 15 Ariane 44P, 26 Ariane 44LP, and 40 Ariane 44L. The fleet achieved 113 successful launches, including a final run of 74 consecutive successes.

Ariane 4
NASA / Bill Ingalls · NASA asset; NASA Image Library item NHQ202112250015 identifies the exact Ariane 5 launch image and credits NASA / Bill Ingalls. NASA’s current Images and Media Usage Guidelines generally permit factual or informational/editorial use with NASA attribution and without implying NASA endorsement; third-party material identified as copyright-protected remains separately restricted. NASA insignia, logotype, identifiers, visible partner marks, and any commercial, promotional, merchandise, or other protected-rights use remain separately clearance-sensitive; verify before such use. · Source
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Identity

Aliases
Ariane-4Ariane workhorse
Family Name
Ariane
Full Name
Ariane 4
Status
retired
Type
rocket
Variant Name
4

Details

Description
Ariane 4 was the modular final evolution of the original Ariane technology line and the commercial workhorse of European launch services from 1988 through 2003. Its six configurations flew 116 missions: 7 Ariane 40, 15 Ariane 42P, 13 Ariane 42L, 15 Ariane 44P, 26 Ariane 44LP, and 40 Ariane 44L. The fleet achieved 113 successful launches, including a final run of 74 consecutive successes.
First Flight Year
1,988
Last Flight Year
2,003
Operator
Parent Vehicle Family
Propulsion Configurations
  • Entries
    • Nested value
    • Nested value
    • Nested value
    Name
    Ariane 4 40
    Notes
    No strap-on boosters; baseline Ariane 4 liquid-core stack.
  • Entries
    • Nested value
    • Nested value
    • Nested value
    • Nested value
    Name
    Ariane 4 42P
    Notes
    Two solid strap-on boosters added to the Ariane 4 40 core.
  • Entries
    • Nested value
    • Nested value
    • Nested value
    • Nested value
    Name
    Ariane 4 44P
    Notes
    Four solid strap-on boosters added to the Ariane 4 core.
  • Entries
    • Nested value
    • Nested value
    • Nested value
    • Nested value
    Name
    Ariane 4 42L
    Notes
    Two liquid Viking 6 strap-on boosters added to the Ariane 4 40 core.
  • Entries
    • Nested value
    • Nested value
    • Nested value
    • Nested value
    • Nested value
    Name
    Ariane 4 44LP
    Notes
    Two solid and two liquid strap-on boosters around the Ariane 4 three-stage core.
  • Entries
    • Nested value
    • Nested value
    • Nested value
    • Nested value
    Name
    Ariane 4 44L
    Notes
    Four liquid Viking 6 strap-on boosters around the Ariane 4 three-stage core.
Rocket Specs
Payload Capacity Kg
Gto
4,900
Reusability
expendable
Stages Count
3

Links

Official Url
https://www.esa.int/Enabling_Support/Space_Transportation/History_of_Ariane_4
Wikipedia Url
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ariane_4

Assets & Meta

Creation Time
July 13, 2026 at 10:20:41 UTC
Updated Time
August 1, 2026 at 11:52:20 UTC
Image
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Search Name
Ariane 4 Ariane-4 Ariane workhorse