Ariane 5 is a heavy lift launch vehicle that is part of the Ariane rocket family,used to deliver payloads into geostationary transfer orbit (GTO) or low Earth orbit (LEO) The Ariane 5 is an expendable launch Vehicle that is being
operated by Arianespace. Atrium, an EADS company, is the prime
contractor for the Vehicle and is responsible for assembly of the
rockets. Atrium is the leader of various sub-contractors that
contribute components of the vehicle. Ariane 5 rockets are manufactured under the authority of the European Space Agency (ESA) and CNES .
