Born out of the ESRO LIIIS project to develop a competitive European satellite launcher, the name Ariane was adopted by delegates at ESRO’s AFC (Administrative and Finance Committee) in September 1973. The success of Ariane’s first launch, on 24 December 1979, paved the way to hundreds of further launches, and to obtaining a significant share of global commercial launch contracts.

Ariane-1 – 1979

Ariane-2/3 – 1984

Ariane-4 – 1988

Ariane-5 heavy-lift satellite launcher –first operational flight 1999