AS REPORTEDno primary record reached; this is what the reporting says
Official European Space Agency documentation confirms that although Ariane 5 solid rocket boosters are occasionally recovered for post-flight analysis and inspection, the option to refurbish and reuse them was rejected.
The Ariane-5 Booster Recovery System
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## The Ariane-5 Booster Recovery System
### J. Gigou
#### Directorate of Launchers, ESA, Paris
### J.M. Astorg
#### Directorate of Launchers, CNES, Evry, France
### F. Barreau
#### Directorate of Launchers, Aérospatiale, Les Mureaux, France
Ariane-5's solid-rocket boosters are designed for high reliability and minimum cost. Already during the preliminary design stage, the possibility of recovering the boosters after flight was therefore considered to be of great interest for meeting both of these goals. To ensure enhanced reliability during the entire production phase, there will be stringent post- flight inspection of the spent boosters. The possibility of refurbishing and reusing the recovered boosters has, however, been rejected. It is currently considered a non-cost-effective option because of the specific design and reliability complications that this would incur. It is currently planned to recover four boosters per year.
### Introduction
The Ariane-5 heavy-lift vehicle currently under development is the successor to the Ariane-4 generation of launchers. Specific Ariane-5 design goals are:
- operational flexibility.
- very h
# Why aren't the Ariane 5's SRBs reused?
Tags: reuse, srb, ariane
- Score: 10
- Views: 726
- Answers: 1
- Answered: yes
- Asked by: Vikki (4233 rep)
- Asked: 2018-06-13
- Site: space
## Question
The Ariane 5 uses two solid rocket boosters (SRBs), which can be recovered by parachute if desired. However, unlike (for instance) the space shuttle SRBs, Ariane 5 SRBs are only occasionally recovered, and only when post-flight analysis is necessary due to some sort of anomaly during launch; even when recovered, Ariane 5 boosters are not reused.
Why aren't the Ariane 5 boosters routinely recovered and reused?
## Answers
### Answer by Russell Borogove (score: 11 [ACCEPTED])
The shuttle SRBs weren't really cost-effective to reuse. The nozzles and nozzle boots were replaced completely, as were many other components; the segment casings were deformed by the force of splashdown, and had to be reshaped. Designing the booster for reuse, and inspecting each rebuilt booster thoroughly to be assured that it was safe to use — particularly after the Challenger accident — was likely more expensive in the long run than using a simpler, cheaper, disposable design.
ESA - Ar-503 EAP booster recovered
ESA - Ar-503 EAP booster recovered
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# Ar-503 EAP booster recovered
01/01/1998
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193908 ID
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Related
One of Ariane-503's two solid-propellant EAP boosters was recovered from the Atlantic and returned to the Kourou launch site for inspection.
Everything we examined (3) — 2 independent sources
This check searched the claim as stated. It did not run a separate search for evidence against it.