Ariane 2

AR2

Mission Profile

The Ariane 2 (AR2) was a three-stage European launch vehicle in the Ariane family, an upgraded version of the Ariane 1 with improved third stage performance for heavier geostationary payloads. Standing 49.1 m tall with a 3.8 m diameter and a liftoff mass of 215 tonnes, it generated 2,772 kN of liftoff thrust and could deliver 2,175 kg to geostationary transfer orbit. First flying in May 1986, the Ariane 2 launched commercial communications satellites but was quickly overshadowed by the more capable Ariane 3 and Ariane 4.