Feature story
Arianespace celebrates its first 20 years of activity in Japan
April 10, 2006
Arianespace's 20-year-long relationship with Japan's telecommunications and space sectors was marked by a reception and press conference in Tokyo today, along with the announcement of a new Japanese satellite launch services contract for Ariane 5.
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The company's top management welcomed Arianespace customers, industry managers and government officials to its annual evening event in the Japanese capital city, at which Chief Executive Officer Jean-Yves Le Gall thanked Japan for its continued confidence in Arianespace
"It is a great pleasure to meet again with you - our longtime customers, colleagues and friends in the satellite communications and space industry," Le Gall. "Since we met last April, Arianespace has launched eight times, carrying 12 satellites and orbiting about 27 tons. In 2006, our numbers will be similar: this is the tempo of success, and I thank you for being on board with us."
The reception also provided an opportunity for Arianespace to celebrate the 20th anniversary of its Tokyo office, which was opened in April 1986 by Jean-Louis Claudon - who continues to head this operation today. Working with Claudon are Yoshiko Nakagawa, who opened the office with him 20 years ago, and Kiyoshi Takamatsu and Jacques Roelandts, who have been with Arianespace's Japanese team for 15 and 11 years, respectively.
Le Gall noted that since 1987, Arianespace has launched 19 of the 32 commercial satellites ordered by Japanese telecommunications operators, with four more payloads on the company's orderbook for upcoming missions.
This includes the SUPERBIRD-7, a newly-signed payload for an Ariane 5 mission in the first quarter of 2008. The SUPERBIRD-7 launch services order was placed by Mitsubishi Electric, which is building the satellite in a turnkey contract for Japanese telecommunications operator Space Communications Corporation (SCC).
Le Gall noted that Arianespace also has built a strong cooperative relationship with Japan, and orbited the LDREX-1 experimental antenna reflector on an Ariane 5 in December 2000 for the JAXA Japanese aerospace exploration agency. The LDREX-2 will follow later this year on another Ariane 5 mission.
He added that Arianespace also is proud of its relationship with Japan's Mitsubishi Heavy Industries in the framework of the Launch Services Alliance - an industry cooperation for mission assurance, which also includes Boeing Launch Services.
"This is only one aspect of our ambition to cooperate further with Japan in programs that extend to the International Space Station and the Space Exploration Initiative," Le Gall concluded.
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