Arianespace’s Stephane Israel underscores strong partnership with Japan during Tokyo customer meetings

Stephane Israel initiated his first major international customer visits today, as Arianespace’s new Chairman & CEO met with key Japanese partners during the company’s annual Arianespace Japan Week activities in Tokyo.

Israel spoke with leaders from Broadcasting Satellite System Corporation (B-SAT), the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) and SKY Perfect JSAT during three visits as part of Arianespace’s annual outreach to the Japanese market.

Today’s initial scheduled visit was with B-SAT, which has entrusted Arianespace with all seven of the satellites used since its inception. Israel met with B-SAT representatives Kazuo Takenaka, President & CEO; and Takashi Yabashi, Managing Director. All wore pins with seven stars to commemorate the payloads lofted by Arianespace for this Japanese commercial operator.

Israel underscored the need for a strong partnership in his second meeting today, with Naoki Okumura, the president of JAXA at the agency’s headquarters in Tokyo. Arianespace lofted the LDREX-1 and LDREX-2 payloads in 2000 and 2006, respectively, for the Japanese space agency.

A meeting with SKY Perfect JSAT – the largest satellite operator in Asia – rounded out Israel’s customer visits as he confirmed Arianespace commitment to continuing the quarter-century relationship with this Japanese operator. Representatives for SKY Perfect JSAT included: Shinji Takada, President & CEO; Osamu Inoue, Director of the Board & Senior Executive Vice President; Yutaka Nagai, Senior Executive Vice President; Koki Koyama, Managing Executive Officer; and Yuichi Hayasaka, Executive Officer and Deputy Group President.

Arianespace’s partnership with SKY Perfect JSAT dates back to the launch of Japan’s first commercial satellite, JCSAT-1 in March 1989, and has been continued with a multi-launch services agreement inked during September 2012.

For the meetings with SKY Perfect JSAT and B-SAT, Israel was accompanied by former Arianespace Chairman & CEO Jean-Yves Le Gall, who is now the President of France’s CNES space agency.

As part of further Japan Week activities, Israel also will meet with the press and speak at a reception to highlight Arianespace’s role in this key market.

Arianespace opened its Tokyo office in 1986 and since then has won 27 launch contracts out of 36 open to competition – representing a 75-percent market share in the region.