17 November 2004
ARTA - guaranteeing launcher reliability
All launchers have to be qualified before going on the market. But qualification work doesn’t end with the first commercial launch. Throughout its operating life, all the critical elements of the Ariane launcher undergo regular testing to maintain its qualification status. Conducted as part of the ARTA* programme, these tests concern all kinds of elements—from the smallest, weighing only a few kilograms, to the largest, like the MPS.