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Home , Ariane (rocket family), Ariane 1, Ariane 2, Ariane 3, Ariane 4

~NA~TU~RE~V~O~L-~~~n~ffi~B~R~U~AR~Y~I~~------NEVVS------6~77 launchers (- and ) "but we have yet to see any contracts". 's other competitor is probably Ariane backers confident Japan - Van Gaver does not see the Soviet Evry, pump (that knocked out the fifth). Accord­ Union or China entering the Western IN France, where they build Ariane, ing to the man in the hot seat, the Chef de telecommunications market. Japan's 's answer to the US , Projet for Ariane-3 (and a future space programme is at present un­ one newspaper last week reckoned the Ariane-4), Andre Van Gaver, the problems competitive, but the Japanese space agency score in own goals to be: Shuttle 3, Ariane that hit Ariane-1 are now solved - or as is developing a large cryogenic engine (such 2. That is, the shuttle has lost one more solved as anything can be in the space as Europe would only see on Ariane-5, now than Ariane, business. at the planning stage). "We must watch although it has regained one too. Certainly After Ariane-3 will come Ariane-4, the Japan carefully" Van Gaver says. this leaves the space insurance business first parts of the first flight model of which Robert Walgate equally nervous of both systems. are to be completed this year. Ariane-4, to • , the international communica­ But at Evry, south of , from where fly in March 1986, is designed around the tions satellite organization, has finally the French space agency CNES and next generation of communications decided to go back to an old design for In· the commercial launcher company led by Intelsat VI: 4,200 kg and telsat V F8, due for launch on Ariane on 5 run the Ariane programme, approaching 4 metres in diameter, com­ March. Problems with the L-band there is an increasing sense that Ariane may parable with the shuttle bay's 4.5 metres. maritime communications system (see prove to be a winner in the billion-dollar The future of Arianespace depends on the Nature 2 February, p.401) had pushed the market for communications satellites. company's success in gaining contracts for launch back two months. , the Without any sense of crowing over shut­ the Intelsat VI series, but knowing this, In­ organization which uses the L-band tle problems - for Ariane has had its own, telsat can afford to wait. Around half the system, has complained that Intelsat V F7 and may yet have more - it is pointed out Intelsat business would be ample to give is unworkable and has refused to accept it. at Evry that launch from the shuttle into Arianespace a living, says Van Gaver. Unable to solve the problem on F8, Intelsat geostationary is more complicated The United States "made a mistake" in has gone back to the F6 design, which still and more expensive than launch by Ariane. dropping conventional launchers in order has problems but not so bad as those of F7. A communications customer on the shuttle to push business towards the shuttle, Van F9, which was to have been launched by must also buy a substantial - the Gaver believes. Now the United States is Ariane this summer, has now been put "perigee motor" -to lift the satellite from trying to commercialize the old launchers back to 1985. D the low shuttle orbit to the elliptical geosta­ tionary transfer orbit (GTO}, which US space station reaches up to the parking height of geosta­ tionary satellites. It is these motors that failed in the recent shuttle flight. Ariane Manufacturing plans launched reaches GTO in one shot, using liquid fuel Washington interest in space, 3M scientists will receive stages which are theoretically more ac­ WITH a masterly sense of timing, the free access to NASA laboratories where curate and reliable. National Aeronautics and Space materials processing research is under way. However, even if there is some delay in the Administration (NASA) has announced 3M also gets two free flights on the shuttle, shuttle's geostationary launch programme, that a major company, the Minnesota­ the first as early as August. Arianespace is not in a position to gain any based 3M Corporation, is planning to 3M's research programme will focus on immediate benefit. Its order book is almost embark on a new programme of space processing organic materials in the low­ full for two years, with room (perhaps) for research with the aim of eventually gravity, high-vacuum environment avail­ only one more "good" customer in 1985. producing commercial products in orbit. in space. Its vice president for tech­ The limiting factor is the Ariane produc­ The corporation's decision comes fast on nology services, Dr R. M. Adams, said the tion line, which can turn out no more than the heels of President Reagan's announce­ company's first experiment on board the six launchers a year. From 1985, the launch ment that the United States will build a shuttle would look at the growth of organic site at Hourou, , will be able manned space station within a decade, and crystals and the development of thin to cope with 12 launches a year. So is being portrayed by NASA as vindication films with novel physical and chemical Arianespace, which is desperately under­ of its claims that a space station could properties. capitalized (it could be bankrupted by a become the nucleus of a sizeable space­ Directed by both President Reagan and single launch failure}, is seeking new based manufacturing industry. Congress to encourage commercial invest­ capital in Europe to construct a second At a formal ceremony announcing 3M's ment in space, NASA faces an uphill strug­ production line. plans, NASA administrator James Beggs gle in extending commercialization beyond In the long run, however, much depends did his utmost to link the company's its one great success story - the satellite on the Ariane development programme. So decision with the President's approval of communications industry which does more far, Ariane launches have used only the the space station. 3M, he pointed out, was than $2000 million of business a year. The first version of Ariane. A week ago, the last the first non-aerospace corporation to sign most visible commercial interest in space­ tests were completed on the second and a memorandum of understanding with based manufacturing has come from third versions (Ariane-2 and Ariane-3, NASA since the space station was Johnson & Johnson and McDonnell identical except that the latter has two extra approved. He said the deal would hasten Douglas, which are developing a prototype strap-on solid boosters in the first stage). the day when US industries were as instrument for the large-scale production The first new version launched will be an comfortable with factories in space as they of drugs by electrophoresis in space. Ariane-3, due to take the European Space were with those on Earth. To garner more investment, NASA Agency's ECS-1 and the French Telecom NASA's enthusiasm is understandable. plans to offer an expensive array of 1-A aloft this July. To maintain confidence To persuade Congress to fall in with its incentives including free or subsidized in Ariane, of course, the new rocket should plans for a space station, the age_ncy must flights on the shuttle and access to NASA not suffer the teething troubles of Ariane-1 show that private industry (and foreign expertise. That could queer NASA's pitch - which suffered high frequency vibra­ governments) are prepared to pick up a with academic scientists, many of whom tions in the first stage (causing failure ofthe share of the tab. Propaganda value apart, have been grumbling for years about the second launch test) and then lubrication the agreement with 3M looks decidedly length of the waiting list for space on the failure in the upper stage cryogenic fuel one-sided. In return for expressing an shuttle. Peter David

0028.0836/84/080677 .OJ so 1.00 C> 1984 Macmillan Journals Ltd