Engine Viking
See also: Viking (homonymy)
The driving Viking was carried out by SEP (European Company of Propulsion), absorptive since by SNECMA.
This engine delivers a push ranging between 760 and 808 kN (77 to 82 tons) according to the versions. In his versions 4 and 5C, Viking motorizes the first 2 stages of the launchers ARIANE 1 to 4. Version 6 motorizes the strap-on boosters for the heavy versions of ARIANE (ARIANE 42L, 44L and 44LP). Conceived to be reliable, the Viking uses chemical Ergol S storable.
The engine Viking completed his career during the flight Arianespace 157, on February 15th, 2004. It thus closes 25 years of activity by a success. This mission is also the 74e (and the last) consecutive success for ARIANE 4, record of reliability with 9 years of launchings without failure. This ultimate success devotes the engine Viking.
The 144 launchers ARIANE 1 to 4 used on the whole 958 engines Viking. Only 2 engines led to a failure. The first failure was due to a crack in the Combustion chamber, second is of human origin: a rag had been forgotten in a control during the assembly. Initially, all the engines were tested before being integrated on a launcher. As from 1998, the engineers, trustful of the reliability of the engine, authorized the use of engines not tested with the bench on the launchers. Some engines, taken by chance in the assembly workshops, are tested time with other. This absolute confidence is very rare in the world of the space motorization.
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