Lessons learnt from the Ariane Experience

Ing. Luca del Monte

ESA-HQ, Paris

Corso di Propulsione Aerospaziale

Universitadi Roma La Sapienza
A.A. 2004-05

Risk Management has always been a key point for

European Launchers.

After the E.L.D.O. disaster (11 successive launch failures), the risk to develop a
new European Launcher had to be minimised. New Means and Procedures for
development have been set up.
After Ariane 1 development, a production line had to be settled to minimise the
risks of a new competitive launch service. Production risk management was
experienced through the Ariane 4 programme.
After the space commercialisation era, Europe has to adapt to the new
international context, where development and production are integrated, but
where the most important risk is to loose its competences.

Corso di Propulsione Aerospaziale

A.A. 2004-05

Development risk management:

a. A launcher design depends upon disciplines
(propulsion, guidance and control, structures etc)
which need to be coherent: this is obtained through
General Specification design rules established at
System level.
b. A launcher development implies many actors who
need to be coordinated through Management Rules
accepted by every participant.
c. A launcher qualification is the result of a good
Development Plan.
Corso di Propulsione Aerospaziale
A.A. 2004-05

General Specification design rules (1/3)

They define the rules applicable for designing
each element, subsystem or system related to the
launcher.These rules include:
The dimensioning trajectories.
The aerodynamic conditions (Standard atmosphere, standard
gusts and winds etc).
The loads applied to dimension an external structure (Static,
dynamic,Shocks acoustic noise etc).
The margin design coefficients specific to the used technology.

Corso di Propulsione Aerospaziale

A.A. 2004-05

General Specification design rules (2/3)

These rules are necessary to:
Guarantee an acceptable coherence between all subsystems.
Allow data exchanges from the equipment designer to the system
integrator.

These rules have to be updated during all the

development, and any deviation from them has to
be justified and accepted by the launcher designer.

Corso di Propulsione Aerospaziale

A.A. 2004-05

General Specification design rules (3/3). Lessons

learned from Ariane
The General specifications used from Ariane 1,
and updated with the new development
programmes, are compulsory to design a coherent
launcher.
The modern informatics tools improve the
efficiency of the general specification, if they
remain simple and users friendly.

Corso di Propulsione Aerospaziale

A.A. 2004-05

System Design(1/2)
Every design starts with a concept, then a
system.The system is divided into parts for ease of
study,understanding, and design. This must be
done with a system focus back to the total product.
When this step is completed by each part, the
results are integrated back into a system.The real
product integrity is established through the
integration where the compartmentalization is
merely a tool for helping achieve the integrity.
Corso di Propulsione Aerospaziale
A.A. 2004-05

Launcher designed by

Corso di Propulsione Aerospaziale

A.A. 2004-05

Launcher designed by

Corso di Propulsione Aerospaziale

A.A. 2004-05

Launcher designed by

Corso di Propulsione Aerospaziale

A.A. 2004-05

10

System Design(2/2)
System requirements are not only performance,
but :

Development costs and schedule.

Production costs.
Operations and launch services costs.
Reliability.
Risk management

Corso di Propulsione Aerospaziale

A.A. 2004-05

11

System design optimisation

Corso di Propulsione Aerospaziale

A.A. 2004-05

12

System Design Ariane lessons learned (1/2)

The Ariane development programme was
conducted by a Prime (C.N.E.S.) who had a
system design contract with industry
(Arospatiale). A constant dialog, enriched by
some competitive studies resulted in an reinforced
system optimisation which allowed to have the
Ariane 1 to 4 first flights without failures.

Corso di Propulsione Aerospaziale

A.A. 2004-05

13

System Design Ariane lessons learned (2/2)

The Ariane 5 first flight failure evidenced 3 main weaknesses:
The software developments become more and more integrated and are
generally on the critical path. Software reliability has to be improved by
new methodologies (cross checking etc.)
The System tests are mandatory because they integrate different
disciplines (Guidance and Control simulation with hardware in the
loop).
Cost and planning overpressure and too much confidence before a flight
qualification, lead to unacceptable risks.

Corso di Propulsione Aerospaziale

A.A. 2004-05

14