The launch of a rocket is the crowning moment, the culmination of a long process of careful machining and construction. What comes out of a rocket factory is a unique blend of power, scale and engineering skill.
"To give you an idea of scale, the thrust at lift-off of a rocket like Ariane is like the power of two units of a nuclear power station, and the turbo pump that feeds the rocket engine has the power of a TGV," says Michel Freuchet, Head of Launchers at Astrium, near Paris, where the Ariane 5 launcher was born.
