Editing Ariane 3 (section)

== Launch history ==
{{main|List of Ariane launches (1979–89)}}

The Ariane 3 made its maiden flight on 4 August 1984, almost two years before the Ariane 2's first launch, placing the [[EUTELSAT I F-2|ECS-2]] and [[Télécom 1A]] satellites into [[geosynchronous transfer orbit]] (GTO).<ref name="harvey 176">{{Cite book |last=Harvey |first=Brian |title=Europe's space programme: to Ariane and beyond |date=2003 |publisher=Springer; published in association with Praxis Pub |isbn=978-1-85233-722-3 |series=Springer-Praxis books in astronomy and space sciences |location=London; New York : Chichester, UK |pages=176}}</ref> The ESA opted for a calculated risk on the first launch, saving €60 million, by performing a commercial launch with the very first flight of the Ariane 3. This was perhaps even more daring as not only was this flight using a new launcher but also the new capability to launch two satellites at once.<ref name="harvey 176"/> The gamble paid off, as the launch was a complete success. At the time of the Ariane 3's maiden flight, the [[United States]] still held a majority of the global launcher market; by the end of the year, the order books were shifting in favour of the Ariane family, having outstanding orders to launch 30 satellites at a cumulative cost of €1 billion.<ref name="harvey 176"/>

Eleven Ariane 3 launchers were launched with ten successes and one failure. The failure occurred on the fifth flight, launched on 12 September 1985, when the third stage failed to ignite resulting in the rocket failing to achieve orbit. The [[Eutelsat I F-3|ECS-3]] and [[Spacenet-3]] satellites were lost in the failure.<ref name="Ariane 1-3">{{Cite web |date= |title=Ariane heritage - Ariane 1-3 |url=http://www.arianespace.com/launch-services-ariane-heritage/ariane-1-3.asp |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150923173735/http://www.arianespace.com/launch-services-ariane-heritage/ariane-1-3.asp |archive-date=2015-09-23 |access-date=2024-06-06 |website=Arianespace |publisher=}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Wade |first=Mark |date=2009-04-26 |title=Ariane |url=http://astronautix.com/lvs/ariane.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090426230907/http://astronautix.com/lvs/ariane.htm |archive-date=26 April 2009 |access-date=2024-06-06 |website=Encyclopedia Astronautica |publisher=}}</ref> Despite this sole loss, the reliability of the Ariane family meant that [[insurance]] costs for the launcher were actually less than that of rival American launchers.<ref name="harvey 176"/> Throughout the 1980s, the platform became increasingly competitive on the global stage.<ref name="harvey 176"/>

According to Harvey, the Ariane family had become the dominant series of launchers on the world market as early as 1986.<ref name="harvey 172">{{Cite book |last=Harvey |first=Brian |title=Europe's space programme: to Ariane and beyond |date=2003 |publisher=Springer; published in association with Praxis Pub |isbn=978-1-85233-722-3 |series=Springer-Praxis books in astronomy and space sciences |location=London; New York : Chichester, UK |pages=172}}</ref> Despite its relative success, the Ariane 3 was quickly replaced by the even more capable [[Ariane 4]], resulting in the launcher only conducting a comparatively small number of launches. The Ariane 3 conducted its final flight on 12 July 1989, carrying the [[Olympus F1]] satellite.<ref name="Gunter" /><ref name="Ariane 1-3" />