Feature story
Arianespace outlines its potential contributions to the U.S. plan for renewed space exploration
May 3, 2004
Europe's growing family of commercial launch vehicles will position Arianespace as a potential international partner in America's long-term plan for increased space exploration.
This was the message of Philippe Berterottière, Arianespace Senior Vice President - Sales, Marketing and Customer Programs, during testimony today at public hearings in New York for The President's Commission on the Implementation of U.S. Space Exploration Policy.
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| Ariane 5's ELA-3 launch complex is one of the world's most modern facilities. |
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Underscoring Arianespace's track record since its creation in 1980 as the world's first commercial launch services provider, Berterottière said the company has signed more than 250 contracts and lofted the majority of the world's commercial satellites in geostationary orbit today.
For the future, the company is evolving a family of launchers that will be capable of carrying a full range of payloads, and which meet nearly all mission scenarios.
"Europe is committed to optimizing resources to address all market segments, and thus has chosen to operate three vehicles from French Guiana - the heavy lift Ariane 5, the medium lift Soyuz and the light Vega," he explained. "Through this family of vehicles, we have the ability to launch any size payload, from the smallest science missions to the largest GEO birds, to any orbit."
The workhorse Ariane 5 currently is available in three configurations for service to low Earth, geostationary transfer orbit and Earth escape orbits. Arianespace is evaluating a more powerful upper stage for Ariane 5, and the company has looked at alternative configurations to create a super-heavy version should the need arise, Berterottière said.
Ariane 5 initially was developed as a man-rated launch system to carry Europe's Hermes spaceplane, and it orbited the European Atmospheric Reentry Demonstrator (ARD) - a system that could be used to return scientific experiments and other cargo from the International Space Station.
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| Europe's ATV will be launched by Ariane 5 to resupply the ISS. |
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The Ariane 5 also will begin orbiting the large European Automated Transfer Vehicle (ATV) for vital re-supply and re-boost of the International Space Station (ISS). The first ATV should be tested late next year, with an additional 6-8 already under contract for launch. "With fewer shuttle missions now expected, additional ATVs may be needed for servicing and maintaining the ISS," Berterottière told the commission.
Operations of Ariane 5 are performed from the Guiana Space Center - the state-of-the-art launch base in Kourou, French Guiana, which is operated by Europe. The Guiana Space Center meets or exceeds all Western safety standards and is ISO 9000 certified. Security is at the same level used to protect the French strategic nuclear forces, and the facility has been used to launch military telecommunications and reconnaissance payloads for NATO member countries, Berterottière added.
Russia's Soyuz vehicle - the world's most frequently used launcher - is a well-proven cargo option for servicing of the International Space Station. It currently is launched from Russia's Baikonur Cosmodrome, where commercial Soyuz flights are performed through a European/Russian joint venture that includes Arianespace.
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| An artist's concept details the Soyuz launch site at French Guiana. |
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Soyuz will begin operations from the Guiana Space Center in 2006 under Arianespace responsibility, providing additional mission flexibility and performance for this proven vehicle. While the current plan for Soyuz in French Guiana does not include human space flight, this remains a possibility as the Russian launcher is man-rated and routinely launches crews to the International Space Station.
"In fact, there is an ongoing ESA study to ensure that the new facilities [being built at the Guiana Space Center for Soyuz] will be designed such that human space flight could be added in the future," Berterottière said. "Upgrading these facilities for human space flight could be an alternative for filling the gap between shuttle and the activation of the Crew Exploration Vehicle (CEV) in servicing the ISS. "
Berterottière also noted that Arianespace has a history of success in launching complicated science missions along the lines of those that could be precursors to human exploration beyond the moon. These included Ariane 5's 2002 launch of the massive ENVISAT earth observation satellite, last fall's launch of the Smart-1 lunar mission on Ariane 5, and the March 2 flight of the Rosetta comet probe - which also was lofted by Ariane 5.
"All of these missions required extensive engineering collaboration and unique uses of the [Ariane 5] vehicle, and all were outstanding successes," he said. "In fact, the Rosetta trajectory was so accurate, that ESA has been able to add additional science missions observing asteroids along the path to the comet. As we look forward, soon we will be launching the Jules Verne ATV and, in 2007, the Herschel and Planck Missions to L2. We are as committed to providing outstanding service to the science community, as we are to the commercial world."
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