| |
| | Ariane |
 | | Ariane 1 flew 11 times from 1979 to 1986, failed twice, and launched a number of communications and other satellites, and the Giotto probe to Halley’s Comet. |
 | | The first and third stages of the Ariane 2 and 3 were lengthened from those of their predecessor to enable a longer burn time, and the engines of stages one, two, and three were increased in thrust. |
 | | Ariane 5’s 17,500-kg LEO (low Earth orbit) payload capacity was intended to accommodate the Hermes space plane. |
| www.daviddarling.info /encyclopedia/A/Ariane.html (616 words) |
|