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Arianespace's integrated launcher family concept to offer significant customer benefits

2006 Customer Seminar special report

May 1, 2006

The integrated Ariane 5, Soyuz and Vega launcher family will provide added value for Arianespace customers, who are to benefit from increased opportunities for launch back-up, standardized procedures, common methodologies and shared operational experience at the Spaceport.

The new Soyuz and Vega launch sites will be on the grounds of Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana, joining the Ariane 5 launch complex, which has been operational since 1996.

"When our family of vehicles is operational at the Spaceport, Arianespace will extend its high-quality service to a complete range of launchers capable of orbiting everything from small satellites to the heaviest platforms," explained Patrick Bonguet, Arianespace's Senior Vice President - Programs. "The sharing of experience from one launch system to the other will improve the technical quality and readiness of the operational teams, as well as offer new back-up possibilities for customers."

Arianespace's heavy-lift Ariane 5 launcher will be joined at the Spaceport in late 2008 by the medium-lift Soyuz, followed in mid 2008 by the first commercial launch of a lightweight Vega vehicle.

Bonguet said Arianespace will serve as the customer interface for all three launchers, working directly with the industrial prime contractors for each vehicle.

"Common methodologies and tools are being developed for Ariane 5, Soyuz and Vega, while configuration management, mission analyses, documentation and reviews also will be standardized," Bonguet said. "Support facilities at the Spaceport also will be shared - including satellite preparation buildings, mission control center, and the telecommunications and tracking networks."

The integrated launcher family concept is being taken one step further with the development of a modular payload adapter system for use on the full range of products available through Arianespace – from its Ariane 5, Vega and Soyuz launchers to the HII-A and Sea Launch vehicles offered by the Launch Services Alliance, in which Arianespace is a founding member.

This common payload adapter concept uses a common adapter interface that will be standard for all five launchers - giving customers a high degree of flexibility to support launcher back-up scenarios, and allowing a single satellite fit-check process to cover an entire series of launch vehicles. A 16-month development program for the payload adapter system was initiated in July 2005, and the system is expected to be available for flight beginning in the second half of 2006.