Ariane
Abstract
An analysis is conducted concerning the economics of expendable launch vehicles versus the Shuttle. It is pointed out that the Shuttle can send into geostationary orbit only the equivalent of two Ariane flights, while its weight at lift-off is approximately ten times the Ariane weight. In other words for the same payload to be sent into geostationary orbit one needs five times more propellants and highly sophisticated hardware with the Space Transportation System (STS) than with a very conventional expendable launch vehicle such as Ariane 1. After an evaluation of various factors, it is concluded that as long as there is not a change in the order of magnitude of the space traffic, i.e., at least during the next twenty years, the reusable and the expendable launch vehicles, providing they are suitably adapted to the new missions, will be in a normal competitive situation, and will be much more complementary than exclusive, depending on missions or politically specific requirements.
- Publication:
-
In: Commercial operations in space - 1980-2000; Proceedings of the Eighteenth Goddard Memorial Symposium
- Pub Date:
- 1981
- Bibcode:
- 1981cops.proc..153D
- Keywords:
-
- Ariane Launch Vehicle;
- Cost Effectiveness;
- Economic Analysis;
- Expendable Stages (Spacecraft);
- Space Transportation System;
- Liftoff (Launching);
- Mission Planning;
- Reusable Spacecraft;
- Space Commercialization;
- Spacecraft Launching;
- Structural Weight;
- Launch Vehicles and Space Vehicles