Created in 1980, Arianespace was the world’s first commercial space transportation company. At this year’s World Satellite Business Week conference in Paris, Arianespace confirms its continued world leadership. 300 launch Service & Solutions contracts
Arianespace has signed eight new launch contracts since the beginning of the year, bringing the total to 300 since the company was founded in March 1980.
Arianespace now has a backlog of 24 geostationary satellites to be launched using either Ariane 5 or Soyuz (for the smaller payloads), along with 10 government launches by Ariane 5, and 7 dedicated Soyuz launches. Ariane 5, the benchmark
Ariane launchers are now operated on the commercial market in a standard configuration, allowing the company to guarantee unmatched reliability for its customers. Europe’s Ariane 5 launcher has carried out 41 missions – including 27 successful launches in a row – confirming its technical maturity. Ariane 5 is the only launch vehicle capable of simultaneously orbiting two payloads. Based on these capabilities, Arianespace offers its customers greater performance, flexibility and competitiveness.
Since the beginning of the 2008, Arianespace has carried out five launches, which successfully orbited eight telecommunications satellites and the Jules Verne ATV for the International Space Station. Two more launches are scheduled before the end of the year.
Over the 12-month period from August 14, 2007 to August 14, 2008, a total of nine Ariane 5 launches orbited 17 payloads totaling more than 75 metric tons (165,000 lb.!) Soyuz and Vega at the Guiana Space Center
Civil engineering work has been completed on the Soyuz launch complex at the Guiana Space Center. The two Soyuz versions to be operated there (Soyuz 2-1a and 2-1b) have been flight-qualified in missions performed from the Baikonur Cosmodrome. The first Russian teams have arrived at the Guiana Space Center, and installation of Russian ground equipment on the launch pad is underway. The first Soyuz launch from the Guiana Space Center is planned for the second half of 2009.
Installation of the Vega launch complex in French Guiana is now being completed, and validation tests with the launcher are planned for mid-2009. The first Vega launch from the Guiana Space Center is slated for 2009.
