14 DAY TRIAL // The Ariane V delivery system is arguably the most reliable rocket in the world, having experienced no total failures in more than 60 missions. Yet, engineers at Arianespace, the company manufacturing the vehicle, and the European Space Agency have recently sought to improve its performances even more.
Since entering active duty, only two Ariane V rockets have experienced partial failures, so its track record is nearly impeccable. But there is still room for improvement, and a new rocket test was carried out on Thursday, May 24, at the Kourou Spaceport, in French Guiana, South America.
An Ariane V motor was installed on the booster engine stand, a structure designed specifically for vertical tests of this nature. The test fire lasted 135 seconds, delivering 700 tons of thrust as it did so. The purpose of the test was to assess the performances of a new thermal protection material.
The assessment is part of the Ariane 5 Research and Technology Accompaniment (ARTA) program, which also includes several other tests, to be carried out over the next few weeks.
A video of the test is available here.