Ariane5 in 3 minutes
On August 6 2019, Ariane Space in Europe successfully launched the Ariane 5 rocket two communication satellites loaded.
Ariane Space is a company founded in 1980 by 53 companies in 12 countries (57% of which are French companies) and launches the Ariane Rocket developed by the European Space Agency (ESA). ESA does not manufacture the rocket but launch.
What is Ariane5?
Ariane5 is a French launch vehicle operated by Ariane Space, launched from Guiana Space Center. Consisted by a liquid main engine and two solid boosters, it can carry 19 to 20.5 tonnes in low Earth orbit (LEO) and 7 tons in geostationary orbit (GEO).
The booster is equipped with a parachute and can be collected, but has not been reused. There are variety models such as 5G, 5G +, 5ECA, 5ES-ATV, but 5G and 5G + are not used currently. Except for the first and the failures in 2002 and the deviation of the route in 2018, the success has been continuous and stable. Since two satellites can be loaded, costs can be reduced in the form of a piggyback launch.
In this way, it seems that there is no feature compared to Falcon 9 re-landing or Soyuz manned launching.
However, while the Soyuz was originally developed by ICBM, the Ariane rocket series is designed purely as a launch vehicle for commercial satellites
(Reference: Mark Williamson, "ARIANESPACE Thirty years and growing ..." Aerospace America, September 2010).
User Friendly Service-Launch Risk Guarantee (LRG)
In addition, Arianespace has a service that will launch it again free of charge in case of the launch failure (Reflight Option). Even if the cause of the launch failure was not on the launch vehicle, it will provide another launch opportunity because of the fact of the launch failure.
In fact, operators want to launch their satellites as soon as possible, and cannot wait for compensation or insurance procedure.
In the launch services of other countries and agencies, the risk of failure is generally at their own risk, however Arianespace wins the customers hearts and mind with services from the operator's aspect.
Financing Support-Win-Win Relationship
Of course, launching needs to enormous cost, however Arianespace has found Arianespace Finance to support customers finance. As a result, the new businesses by the satellite has been promoted, and contributed to launch service orders in Ariane Space.
Impact on US and Japanese launch regulations
France is the first country dealt with quickly to the risks of launch failure.
The Arian Declaration in 1980 is an embodies, limiting the scope of Ariane space's responsibility for the Ariane launch vehicle launch failure and established a mechanism for the government shares the responsibility.
The United States has followed and amended the Commercial Space Launch Act and established a government compensation structure.
In this way, the foundation of the structure that the government compensates the portion of the potential responsibility of the launcher cannot be covered by insurance is established.
A similar rule is established in Japanese Space Activities Act, and the French approach to risks of launch failure has been inherited.
Comic "Reflight"
The comic above is created by @_Pkrin, who belongs to the online salon "Anman Salon" managed by @wakanjyu321, Japanese genius / beautiful manga artist. Grateful thanks!
Click here for "Anman Salon" which can deal with the mission of space law and rocket girls project.
The "hospitality" and "tolerance" that describe Ariane5 are imaged by government compensation structure for Ariane Space in France and the launch risk guarantee that is characteristic of the Ariane5 launch service agreement.
This comic is based on these facts that France has established a government compensation structure and the United States has followed it, as well as a comparison with the case without launch risk guarantee.
Although Ariane5 is not dramatically affordable, the confidence that France and Arianespace have quickly got in implementing such structures and services in a significant risk in the launch business has been important. It is clear from the background that Ariane5 was developed not as a weapon but as a commercial launch vehicle.
It is likely that the public-private partnership and the construction of transportation while hedging risks will be a good example of how important it is for humanity to proceed the space exploration.
Reference:
・ JAXA website "Ariane 5 Rocket"
http://iss.jaxa.jp/iss/launch/ariane5/
・ JAXA Space Information Center
http://spaceinfo.jaxa.jp/
・ Mark Williamson “ARIANESPACE Thirty years and growing…” Aerospace America, September 2010
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