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From: lmc@cisden.UUCP (Lyle McElhaney)
Newsgroups: net.columbia
Subject: Re: SRB vs liquid
Message-ID: <497@cisden.UUCP>
Date: Sun, 9-Feb-86 00:40:38 EST
Article-I.D.: cisden.497
Posted: Sun Feb  9 00:40:38 1986
Date-Received: Wed, 12-Feb-86 20:57:12 EST
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>     What exactly is the configuration of Ariane?  I keep hearing that one
>     of the stages is solid fueled, but a drawing printed in the Chicago
>     Tribune shows three stages, all liquid fueled.
> 
It has three liquid-fuelled stages. The first two stages use hypergolic
fuels, the third uses H2/O2 cryogenics.

>     Additionally, is there anything new and novel about the Ariane?  From
>     what I have been able to gather, it seems to be pretty mundane rocket.
>     It's major advantage seems to be that it is launched fairly near the 
>     equator, and can put satellites out at GEO distances from the Earth.

Nothing novel; just good reliable technology. It can place 1700 Kg at
geosync, 4800 Kg at LEO, and 2500 Kg in Sun-synchronous orbit. The shuttle
can place 29,500 Kg in LOE. Cost, of course, is another matter, as is
launch availability, especially now.

Lyle McElhaney
...hao!cisden!lmc