Milestones
Since its creation in 1980 as the world's first commercial space transportation company, Arianespace has led the launch services industry with many operational firsts and numerous record-setting missions.
2023
April

April 14, 2023 April 14, 2023

The first European mission to Jupiter

Arianespace successfully placed the European Space Agency’s JUICE space probe in an escape orbit. This is Europe’s first mission to the Jovian system. JUICE, which will arrive in July 2031, is to spend at least three years observing Jupiter’s icy moons: Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto.

Read more
Read less
March

March 14, 2023 March 14, 2023

New Vega C contract with IRIDE Programme

Arianespace signed with the European Space Agency for the procurement of two Vega C launches. This contract also includes an option for a third dedicated launch. The Vega C’s backlog is increased to 15 firm launches, demonstrating the competitiveness of the new European light launcher.

Read more
Read less
2022
July

July 13, 2022 July 13, 2022

Successful inaugural flight for Vega C

On July 13, at 10:13 am local time at Europe’s Spaceport, in French Guiana, the first Vega C, the new European launcher designed and manufactured by AVIO, was successfully launched under the supervision of ESA. Following the success of its inaugural flight, Vega C will now begin its operational phase, under the responsibility of Arianespace, with a target of at least four launches per year and a fast-growing backlog.

Read more
Read less
April

April 5, 2022 April 5, 2022

Amazon’s record-setting launch services agreement

Ariane 6 will be used in 18 launches for Amazon’s Project Kuiper, performed during a period of three years from Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana. With this largest launch services contract ever signed by Arianespace, the company will play a significant role in deploying Amazon’s broadband constellation.

Read more
Read less
March

March 4, 2022 March 4, 2022

Suspension of Soyuz launches operated by Arianespace & Starsem

After having successfully conducted 27 launches from Europe’s Spaceport (CSG, French Guiana) and 37 launches from Baikonur (Kazakhstan) through Starsem, Arianespace is strictly abiding by the sanctions decided by the international community (European Union, United States of America and United Kingdom) following the invasion of Ukraine by Russia. As part of the mandate given by the ESA Member States to Arianespace, the operation of the Soyuz launcher are governed by France/Russia inter-governmental agreement and ESA – Roscosmos space agencies agreement. This operation is now suspended by Roscosmos’ unilateral decision to withdraw from CSG and suspend all Soyuz launches from Europe’s Spaceport.

Read more
Read less
2021
December

December 25, 2021 December 25, 2021

Ariane 5 orbits NASA’s Webb Space Telescope

In one of the most iconic space exploration launches ever performed by Ariane 5, the heavy-lift Arianespace launcher successfully lofts NASA’s Webb Space Telescope – sending the most powerful space observatory ever built on its way to study origins of the Universe. Ariane 5’s very precise injection places Webb on a highly accurate deep-space trajectory, conserving the telescope’s precious on-board propellent for a longer lifetime of discoveries.

Read more
Read less
October

October 23, 2021 October 23, 2021

The GTO launch leader

Ariane 5 sets a new world record for the cumulative net mass delivered to geostationary transfer orbit (GTO) using a single launch vehicle: a total performance of 11.2 metric tons and a payload mass reaching 10.264 metric tons at separation. This cumulative milestone was reached on Arianespace’s Flight VA255, which successfully lofted the SES-17 and SYRACUSE 4A satellites from Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana. It was the 111th Ariane 5 flight overall.

Read more
Read less
September

September 14, 2021 September 14, 2021

1,000+ spacecraft launched

Arianespace surpasses the 1,000-mark in satellites launched with its 10th mission at the service of OneWeb. Lifting off from Baikonur Cosmodrome on Flight ST35, the medium-lift Soyuz vehicle delivered 34 more spacecraft to orbit for this global operator – bringing Arianespace’s all-time total to 1,021.

Read more
Read less
March

March 25, 2021 March 25, 2021

Arianespace orbits its 800th spacecraft

With the successful launch of 36 more constellation satellites for OneWeb, Arianespace surpasses the 800-mark in the total number of spacecraft orbited since its creation. Performed from Vostochny Cosmodrome with the company’s Starsem affiliate, this mission utilized a Soyuz 2-1b launcher version.

Read more
Read less

March 19, 2021 March 19, 2021

Confirming the ramp-up for Vega C

Arianespace signs a long-term supply agreement with prime contractor Avio covering 10 additional Vega C launchers – which are slated for institutional and commercial missions beginning in 2023. It is the fourth batch of Vega vehicles ordered by Arianespace, and the first comprised solely of upgraded Vega C versions.

Read more
Read less
2020
December

December 18, 2020 December 18, 2020

An on-target debut from Vostochny

Arianespace successfully performs its initial launch from Russia’s Vostochny Cosmodrome – delivering 36 additional OneWeb constellation satellites to low-Earth orbit using a medium-lift Soyuz. This joint mission with the company’s Starsem affiliate raised the number of in-orbit OneWeb spacecraft from 74 to 110. It also was the first ever commercial flight from Vostochny Cosmodrome.

Read more
Read less
November

November 9, 2020 November 9, 2020

Enhancing Arianespace’s Executive Committee

Arianespace appoints its new Executive Committee based on a management structure organized by launch system, and with a more diversified European membership. Effective earlier in the month, this revamped committee comprised nine members.

Read more
Read less
September

September 3, 2020 September 3, 2020

More than 700 spacecraft launched

Arianespace surpasses the 700-mark for spacecraft launched during its four decades of operation. This milestone occurred on the Vega Proof of Concept flight for Arianespace’s innovative Small Spacecraft Mission Service (SSMS), delivering 50-plus nano-satellites and micro-satellites to Sun-synchronous orbits.

Read more
Read less
January

January 7, 2020 January 7, 2020

Celebrating 40 years

Arianespace begins celebrating its 40th anniversary at the traditional year-opening press conference in Paris – during which the company highlighted its solid operational and business performance in 2019.

Read more
Read less