This is a 1:100 scale model of the Ariane 1 rocket. A three-stage, liquid-fuel rocket, the Ariane 1 was developed by the European Space Agency, an organization created in 1974 by eleven Western European nations. It was designed to place satellites weighing up to 1,650 lbs into geosynchronous orbit. Out of a total of twelve launches between 1979 and 1986, nine were successful. The Ariane 1 was replaced by the more advanced Ariane 3, which first flew in 1984. John and Cynthia Heyde donated the model to NASM on an unknown date.
This object is on display in James S. McDonnell Space Hangar at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, VA.