Editing Ariane 3 (section)

==Development==
In 1973, eleven nations decided to pursue joint collaboration in the field of space exploration and formed a new pan-national organisation to undertake this mission, the [[European Space Agency]] (ESA).<ref name="harvey 161 162">{{Cite book |last=Harvey |first=Brian |title=Europe's space programme: to Ariane and beyond |date=2003 |publisher=Springer; published in association with Praxis Pub |isbn=978-1-85233-722-3 |series=Springer-Praxis books in astronomy and space sciences |location=London; New York : Chichester, UK |pages=161–162}}</ref> Six years later, in December 1979, the arrival of a capable European [[expendable launch system]] was marked when the first [[Ariane 1|Ariane 1 rocket]] launcher was successfully launched from the [[Guiana Space Centre]] at [[Kourou]], [[French Guiana]].<ref name = "harvey 169">{{Cite book |last=Harvey |first=Brian |title=Europe's space programme: to Ariane and beyond |date=2003 |publisher=Springer; published in association with Praxis Pub |isbn=978-1-85233-722-3 |series=Springer-Praxis books in astronomy and space sciences |location=London; New York : Chichester, UK |pages= 169}}.</ref> The Ariane 1 soon became considered to be a capable and competitive launcher in comparison to the rival platforms offered by the [[Soviet Union]] and the [[United States of America]].<ref name = "harvey 172"/> However, even prior to the launcher having entering service, there was a strong desire to quickly produce improved derivatives that would be able to handle even greater payloads than Ariane 1 could. These desires would result in the creation of both the [[Ariane 2]] and Ariane 3.<ref name = "harvey 1724">{{Cite book |last=Harvey |first=Brian |title=Europe's space programme: to Ariane and beyond |date=2003 |publisher=Springer; published in association with Praxis Pub |isbn=978-1-85233-722-3 |series=Springer-Praxis books in astronomy and space sciences |location=London; New York : Chichester, UK |pages=172–174}}</ref>

While the initiative was first proposed in 1978, prior to the Ariane 1's first flight, approval to commence the first phase of development was not received until July 1979.<ref name = "harvey 174">{{Cite book |last=Harvey |first=Brian |title=Europe's space programme: to Ariane and beyond |date=2003 |publisher=Springer; published in association with Praxis Pub |isbn=978-1-85233-722-3 |series=Springer-Praxis books in astronomy and space sciences |location=London; New York : Chichester, UK |pages=174}}</ref> The bulk of development work on the new launcher occurred between 1980 and 1982. The Ariane 3 was designed to satisfy the future demand for the delivery of two tonne payloads into a [[Geosynchronous transfer orbit]] (GTO).<ref name = "harvey 174"/> According to aerospace historian Brian Harvey, in spite of the numbering sequence adopted, the Ariane 3 was the direct successor to the Ariane 1, rather than the Ariane 2, as could be logically assumed.<ref name = "harvey 174"/>  The principal agency behind the development of the Ariane 3 was the [[Centre National d'Etudes Spatiales]] (CNES), while the lead company for its production was the French aerospace manufacturer [[Aérospatiale]].<ref name = "harvey 214">{{Cite book |last=Harvey |first=Brian |title=Europe's space programme: to Ariane and beyond |date=2003 |publisher=Springer; published in association with Praxis Pub |isbn=978-1-85233-722-3 |series=Springer-Praxis books in astronomy and space sciences |location=London; New York : Chichester, UK |pages=214}}</ref>

In order to keep costs down, CNES directed that only tested technologies could be implemented in the launcher's improvements; in fact, no budget was provided for new test series to be performed. Furthermore, it was restricted to using the existing launch pad and handling facilities established for the Ariane 1, and that there was to be no allowance for retooling of the Ariane production line.<ref name = "harvey 174"/> However, one new piece of infrastructure that was permitted was the establishment of tracking equipment in the [[Ivory Coast]]; the existing infrastructure based in [[Brazil]] used by the Ariane 1 was less suitable due to the increased performance of the Ariane 3, which flew a different ascent profile that reached 250&nbsp;km, rather than 200&nbsp;km before coasting into orbit.<ref name = "harvey 215">{{Cite book |last=Harvey |first=Brian |title=Europe's space programme: to Ariane and beyond |date=2003 |publisher=Springer; published in association with Praxis Pub |isbn=978-1-85233-722-3 |series=Springer-Praxis books in astronomy and space sciences |location=London; New York : Chichester, UK |pages=215}}</ref> Performance boosts were achieved via several different ways, such as the elongated third stage fuel tanks to carry 30 per cent more fuel, elevated combustion pressure in multiple stages, a new intertank structure that supported the addition of solid-fuel boosters, and the adoption of a new fuel mixture.<ref name = "harvey 2135">{{Cite book |last=Harvey |first=Brian |title=Europe's space programme: to Ariane and beyond |date=2003 |publisher=Springer; published in association with Praxis Pub |isbn=978-1-85233-722-3 |series=Springer-Praxis books in astronomy and space sciences |location=London; New York : Chichester, UK |pages= 213–215}}</ref>

The finalised Ariane 3 followed the same basic design as the earlier [[Ariane 1]], but incorporated numerous modifications that had been made for the Ariane 2. Unlike the Ariane 2, two [[solid-fuel rocket|solid-fuelled]] PAP [[strap-on booster]] rockets were used to augment the first stage at liftoff.<ref name="b14643" /><ref name = "harvey 2167">{{Cite book |last=Harvey |first=Brian |title=Europe's space programme: to Ariane and beyond |date=2003 |publisher=Springer; published in association with Praxis Pub |isbn=978-1-85233-722-3 |series=Springer-Praxis books in astronomy and space sciences |location=London; New York : Chichester, UK |pages=216–217}}</ref> The core of the Ariane 3 was essentially identical to that of the Ariane 2. The first stage was powered by four [[Viking (rocket engine)|Viking]] 2B [[Bipropellant rocket|bipropellant]] engines, burning [[UH 25]] (25% straight [[hydrazine]], 75% [[UDMH]]) in a [[dinitrogen tetroxide]] oxidiser. The second stage was powered by a Viking 4B, which used the same fuel-oxidiser combination. The third stage used a [[Cryogenic fuel|cryogenically fuelled]] [[HM7B]] engine, burning [[liquid hydrogen]] in [[liquid oxygen]]. On some flights, a [[Mage 2]] kick motor was flown as a fourth stage.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Wade |first=Mark |title=Mage 2 |url=http://www.astronautix.com/m/mage2.html |access-date=2024-06-06 |website=Encyclopedia Astronautica}}</ref> One atypical modification for the era was the revised satellite deployment system, which could facilitate the launch of two smaller satellites as well as one larger one.<ref name = "harvey 174"/>

The Ariane 3's design heavily influenced that of its successor, the [[Ariane 4]]; while the design team considered various approaches for achieving such a launcher, one of the studied concepts had involved the addition of a fifth engine to an enlarged first stage of the Ariane 3.<ref name = "harvey 179">{{Cite book |last=Harvey |first=Brian |title=Europe's space programme: to Ariane and beyond |date=2003 |publisher=Springer; published in association with Praxis Pub |isbn=978-1-85233-722-3 |series=Springer-Praxis books in astronomy and space sciences |location=London; New York : Chichester, UK |pages= 179}}</ref> However, this was determined to have involved a very high level of redesign work; an alternative approach was instead adopted, in which the first stage was elongated to hold 210 tonnes of propellant instead of the 145 tonnes present on the Ariane 3. While the second and third stages of the Ariane 4 remained identical to the Ariane 3, a range of [[Booster (rocketry)#Strap-on|strap-on booster]]s were developed to be applied to the type, designed to gradually increase the rocket's payload capacity.<ref name = "harvey 179"/> Overall, the Ariane 4 was 15 per cent smaller than the Ariane 3.<ref name = "harvey 180">{{Cite book |last=Harvey |first=Brian |title=Europe's space programme: to Ariane and beyond |date=2003 |publisher=Springer; published in association with Praxis Pub |isbn=978-1-85233-722-3 |series=Springer-Praxis books in astronomy and space sciences |location=London; New York : Chichester, UK |pages= 180}}</ref> It was effectively an improved and developed derivative of the earlier Ariane 3, primarily differing through the application of various [[solid rocket booster|solid]]-fuelled and [[liquid rocket booster|liquid]]-fuelled boosters, the latter being the only all-new design feature of the Ariane 4.<ref name = "harvey 179"/>