Feature story
“Europe must once again find 'the thread of Ariane' – Editorial of Arianespace Chairman & CEO Jean-Yves Le Gall in the Le Figaro newspaper
August 17, 2007
By Jean-Yves Le Gall
Arianespace Chairman & CEO
The following editorial by Arianespace Chairman & CEO Jean-Yves Le Gall was published August 17 in France’s Le Figaro newspaper, and addresses Europe’s use of launch vehicles to orbit its satellite payloads. Applying the Greek mythology reference to Ariane’s thread as a metaphor, Le Gall calls for a reinforced European commitment to Ariane as the preferred launch services resource in future space missions. |
Arianespace was founded in 1980 to operate launchers developed by the European Space Agency (ESA), with this mission conferred to it by the Agency’s member states.
Today, the company has 23 shareholders from 10 European nations and two business activities: the launch of European government satellites, for which it receives investments from the ESA member states; and the launch of commercial satellites.
 “It is essential to ensure the long-term success of Europe’s launchers by systematically using them to orbit satellites of the European Union” |
Since Arianespace’s creation, 290 contracts have been signed and 246 satellites launched by the company, which represents nearly two thirds of all commercial satellites in operation across the world. More than €12 billion has been injected into the European space industry, ensuring jobs for some 7,000 highly qualified engineers and technicians, and the company’s backlog of 44 satellites to be launched represents more than three years of business.
These results did not come without hard work, and with the failure of the first launch of the heavy version of Ariane 5 five years ago, few European executives would have bet on such a turnaround. Its causes are, however, easy to analyze.
Firstly, the technical success of Ariane 5 confirmed the strategy defined in 2003, which aimed to set up a qualified launcher – continually operated in the same version, and a clearer organization in which European industry produces the launcher and Arianespace is in charge of the launches, from the signature of the contract up until the satellite is carried into orbit. Secondly, ESA and most European States – starting with France – systematically use the European launcher to orbit their own satellites. More than simply business turnover, this represents an invaluable reference for us.
This is why, as part of an agreement with the ESA, NASA has decided to entrust Arianespace with the launch of the James Webb Space Telescope, which will take over from the Hubble Space Telescope at the beginning of the next decade. In addition, the launch market has been buoyant. Companies such as Arianespace may launch between 20 and 25 satellites per year on missions to replace existing satellites in orbit, as well as for two new applications. Direct broadcast high-definition television is requiring the use of increasingly efficient satellites. Additionally, mobile telecommunications, which, after the digital and Internet revolutions, is becoming the new frontier of the telecommunications world.
Ariane’s success should not, however, be taken for granted. While an ESA satellite launch policy was voted in 2005 by the Agency’s board at a ministerial-level meeting in Berlin, some states are not applying to their own satellites what they approved for ESA’s spacecraft. This had led to several European government satellites being recently entrusted to non-European launchers. Furthermore, some European spacecraft manufacturers prefer to use non-European launchers to launch their satellites, the development of which has been backed by European authorities. In reality, when some players are faced with real situations, they seem to ignore the strategy behind Europe's launch vehicles, the viability of which was won back after a hard struggle – and for which European governments have made, and continue to make, considerable investments.
This shows that some European industrial players seek to improve their own competitive edge through alliances with the industry in China, at the obvious risk of immediately weakening European launchers and, in turn their, own positions. It is therefore high time to extend the decisions made in Berlin in 2005 to European governmental satellites, in addition to those of ESA. Moreover, it is also essential that a link of solidarity be re-established between launchers and satellites – keeping in mind that it is because of Ariane’s existence that the European satellite industry and its related services exist today.
As Arianespace’s success demonstrates, Europe can rank first in the world in the field of high technology. Support from European governments, technical excellence, clearly defined organization and a realistic commercial approach: the paths to success are, all in all, quite simple. The advantages are significant. Launch vehicles are a real political, technical, industrial and commercial success for Europe, and the whole world envies us for it.
At a time when Europe wishes to further strengthen its political presence in the space industry with programs such as the Galileo satellite navigation project, it is essential to foster the long-term success of European launchers by systematically using them to launch European Union satellites. All these topics will have to be examined in more detail in the coming months to prepare the next ministerial meeting of the ESA Board, which will be held in 2008 when France is to preside over the Council of the European Union. Let us hope that, buoyed by Arianespace’s success, Europe will once again be able to find the solution – a new “Ariane’s thread.”
© J-Y Le Gall / Le Figaro / 2007
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