When did Ariane 5 first fly?

Ariane 5 had its first flight in 1996, operated by Arianespace. Current status: retired.

What's the payload capacity of Ariane 5?

Ariane 5 can lift up to 21 tonnes to Low Earth Orbit (LEO) and 10.86 tonnes to Geostationary Transfer Orbit (GTO).

Ariane 5 stands 53 metres tall with a diameter of 5.4 metres. Total thrust at liftoff: 13,180 kN across 2 stages.

No, Ariane 5 is expendable — boosters and upper stages are not recovered for reflight.

retired Commercial · Europe

Name: Ariane 5
Brand: Arianespace

Arianespace

Europe's flagship launcher for 27 years. Launched JWST in December 2021 in its final year of commercial service. 113 flights.

Height

53 m

Diameter

5.4 m

Payload to LEO

21 t

Payload to GTO

10.86 t

Thrust at liftoff

13,180 kN

Stages

Reusable

First flight

1996

Propellant

LH2/LOX + APCP SRBs

When did Ariane 5 first fly?: Ariane 5 had its first flight in 1996, operated by Arianespace. Current status: retired.
What's the payload capacity of Ariane 5?: Ariane 5 can lift up to 21 tonnes to Low Earth Orbit (LEO) and 10.86 tonnes to Geostationary Transfer Orbit (GTO).
How tall is Ariane 5?: Ariane 5 stands 53 metres tall with a diameter of 5.4 metres. Total thrust at liftoff: 13,180 kN across 2 stages.
Is Ariane 5 reusable?: No, Ariane 5 is expendable — boosters and upper stages are not recovered for reflight.