The name Ariane refers to a series of a civilian European expendable launch vehicles for space launch use. The name comes from the French spelling of the mythological character Ariadne.

France first proposed the Ariane project in the 1970s. The project was Europe's second attempt to develop its own launcher following the unsuccessful Europa project. The Ariane project was code-named L3S (the French acronym for third-generation substitution launcher). The European Space Agency has oversight of the development of all Ariane launchers and of the testing facilities; while Arianespace, a commercial entity, handles production, operations and marketing.

Arianespace launches Ariane rockets from the Centre Spatial Guyanais at Kourou in French Guiana, where the proximity to the equator gives a significant advantage for the launch.

The several versions of the launcher include:

• Ariane 1, first successful launch on December 24, 1979
• Ariane 2, first successful launch on November 20, 1987 (the first launch on May 30, 1986 failed)
• Ariane 3, first successful launch on August 4, 1984
• Ariane 4, first successful launch on June 15, 1988
• Ariane 5, first successful launch on October 30, 1997 (the first launch on June 4, 1996 failed).

As of January 2002 145 Ariane flights had boosted 247 satellites, successfully placing 230 in orbit.

See also: Diamant, Europa rocket