Feature story
Ariane 5's mission flexibility supports Arianespace's growing commercial orderbook
Paris Air Show 2005 - Le Bourget, France
June 14, 2005
Arianespace has set a fast-paced mission schedule through the remainder of 2005 and into next year, benefiting from Ariane 5's maturity and the modern launch infrastructure at the Spaceport in French Guiana.
In parallel, Arianespace is moving forward with the expansion of its launcher family as the company prepares for the future with the Soyuz and Vega vehicles at the Spaceport beginning in 2008.
|
Speaking to reporters at the company's traditional Paris Air Show press conference, CEO Jean-Yves Le Gall said Arianespace plans to launch nine satellites on five Ariane 5s from July through the end of December, offsetting mission delays from customer payload scheduling changes during the first half of 2005.
The accelerated launch rate will continue in 2006, with five heavy-lift Ariane 5 ECAs targeted for launch during the year, as well as the first Ariane 5 mission to orbit Europe's large ATV cargo re-supply spacecraft for the International Space station.
Arianespace's ability to launch numerous satellites in a relatively short time results from the designed-in capacity to orbit two satellites on a single launcher - which regularly was demonstrated by during the long operational lifetime of the predecessor Ariane 4.
"We have set a challenging launch pace for 2005 and 2006, but it is one that I am confident we will be able to achieve," Le Gall said. "Arianespace is up to the challenge because of the excellent production network that has been put into place for Ariane 5, and the unmatched launch infrastructure that is at our disposition in French Guiana."
Le Gall pointed out that no other launch services provider has a launch site infrastructure comparable to the Spaceport's, with two launcher integration buildings, a pair of fully operational mobile launch tables, and the world's largest and most modern satellite preparation facility.
This is complemented by the Spaceport's modern S5 satellite preparation facility, allows five different payloads to be prepared at the same time for launch. "None of our competitors has this capability in place - which is extremely important in supporting an accelerated flight rate.
Arianespace will fully use these resources with its decision to regularly carry out two mission campaigns in parallel - opening regular launch opportunities for satellites when they are ready for liftoff.
|
Le Gall said an example of Arianespace's flexibility was the action taken after the recent postponement of an Ariane 5 ECA mission with DirecTV's Spaceway 2 and PT Telkom Indonesia's Telkom 2 satellite. Originally scheduled for June 24, this flight was pushed back when a technical problem with Telkom 2 forced the satellite to be returned to its manufacturer in the United States from the Spaceport. "Because two launchers were being readied in parallel, we immediately decided to move the second mission forward by using the other Ariane 5 in preparation," Le Gall said.
As a result, Arianespace was able to quickly set the next flight for July 8, utilizing an Ariane 5 Generic to launch Shin Satellite, Plc.'s Thaicom 4 (IPSTAR-1) satellite - which is to be heaviest commercial telecommunications payload ever orbited.
"Only Ariane 5 can carry such a large payload - 6.5 metric tons at liftoff," Le Gall said. "With its very large transponder capacity, IPSTAR will revolutionize telecommunications in Southeast Asia, and we are very proud to be a partner in this commercial program,"
For the other four Ariane 5 missions envisioned in the second half of 2005, two are to be performed with the Ariane 5 Generic version, while the remaining two will be with the increased-lift Ariane 5 ECA.
In addition to its ongoing Ariane 5 operations, Arianespace continues to support the evolution of the medium-lift Soyuz as a commercial launch vehicle, and is preparing for the Vega launcher's future introduction.
|
Le Gall said construction of a Soyuz launch facility at the Spaceport in French Guiana is moving ahead, following last year's definitive decision to build the new launch site and the signing of all the necessary legal and financial documents earlier this year. The initial Soyuz mission from French Guiana is planned for the first half of 2008.
For the ongoing Soyuz operations, Arianespace's affiliate company Starsem has scheduled three commercial flights in 2005 from Kazakhstan's Baikonur Cosmodrome, beginning with the Galaxy 14 payload for PanAmSat on August 1.
Le Gall noted that the orderbook backlog of 41 satellites for Arianespace and five payloads for Starsem is the strongest in the industry, and is the result of the company's commercial efforts during the past several years. The latest Ariane 5 order was announced today at the Paris Air Show for the launch of BSAT-3a, which will be orbited in 2007 on behalf of Lockheed Martin Commercial Space Systems for Japan's Broadcasting Satellite System.
Looking to the future, Le Gall said Arianespace is well positioned to continue as the launch services marketplace leader for the next 25 years - a position the company has held during its past quarter-century of operations. Arianespace's long-term strategy includes the addition of the lightweight Vega launcher at the Spaceport and the pursuit of long-term studies on next-generation launch vehicle designs.
"Arianespace's strong market position today is the result of forward-thinking decisions 20 years ago to develop Ariane 5, and it is now time to begin looking to the next step," he told reporters. "The launcher will be 'customer friendly' because it will respond directly to the needs of our customers, and it will be priced at a level that will be compatible with the clients' expectations. Arianespace is fully committed to pursuing the development of a next-generation launcher, and we are actively involved in the studies."
The Arianespace CEO also said the company will continue to seek innovative launch solutions for its customers, taking such initiatives as creating the Launch Services Alliance to offer back-up mission assurance through agreements with Boeing Launch Services and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries.
In reviewing the current situation as Arianespace celebrates its 25th anniversary, Le Gall said he was particularly satisfied by three areas of the company's evolution:
-
Its stabilized financial situation following Arianespace's recapitalization last year;
-
The technical consolidation of its launcher operations, reinforced by the highly successful Ariane 5 ECA flight earlier this year and the further strengthening of the launcher production network; and
- The go-ahead for Soyuz operations at the Spaceport, which was confirmed by the final decision on construction of the Soyuz launch facility
"Today, customers are looking for launch solutions, not just a ride into orbit," Le Gall concluded. "At Arianespace, we have all of the tools to respond to the clients' needs, along with the determination to remain the industry leader in the future."
RSS
Français |
Terms and conditions of use |
Online privacy statement
© 2012 Arianespace
