PARIS — Ruag Space of Switzerland will supply payload fairings for Europe’s heavy-lift Ariane 5 rocket through 2019 under a contract announced July 3 and valued at more than 100 million Swiss francs, or $112 million.
Zurich-based Ruag said the order was for 18 fairings, with deliveries to begin to Ariane rocket operator Arianespace of Evry, France, in late 2016. The order appears to track a contract for 18 Ariane 5 rockets signed in December by Arianespace and Ariane 5 prime contractor Airbus Defence and Space, with deliveries to occur between 2017 and 2019.
Arianespace has said it expects to be launching Ariane 5 vehicles at an average rate of six per year, assuming satellite customers arrive on time at the European spaceport in South America.
Ruag supplies payload fairings for the European Vega small-satellite launcher and the U.S. Atlas 5-500 rocket operated by United Launch Alliance and used mainly for U.S. government satellite launches.
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