FLIGHT V30 – THE LAST FLIGHT OF ARIANE 2

April 2, 1989: Tele-X, communications for Scandinavia

 

Ariane 2 took off for the last time on 2 April, 1989, on a successful mission to deliver Tele-X – the first communications satellite to serve the Nordic countries.

 

Broadcasting television and radio, it opened the way for advanced telecoms in northern Europe.

With five successful flights between 1987 and 1989, Ariane 2 represents a short but very important chapter in the story of European launchers.

 

Ariane 2 was a significant development for European and world launchers, ensuring that the Ariane family of launchers became competitive, leading to Ariane’s dominance of the heavy-lift launch vehicle market in the 1980s and beyond.

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