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Feature story

Arianespace is ready to meet the growing demand for satellite launch services

December 3, 2007

Arianespace will meet its commitment of increasing the company's launch tempo while ensuring quality and reliability - pledging to "over-perform" on its promises to commercial and institutional customers alike.

TerreStar's Dennis Matheson (at left) introduced Arianespace Chairman & CEO Jean-Yves Le Gall for his Washington. D.C. luncheon keynote speech.

This was one of the messages of Arianespace Chairman & CEO Jean-Yves Le Gall during his year-end visit to Washington, D.C., where he met with customers, government officials and industry managers.

Addressing a meeting of the Washington Space Business Roundtable last Friday, Le Gall said Arianespace invested in the capability to build and launch up to eight heavy-lift Ariane 5s annually from the Spaceport French Guiana by 2009, and he noted the new Soyuz launch facilities also are rapidly taking shape there for a maiden flight of the medium-lift vehicle in 2009.

"We have made these significant investments to guarantee readiness to our customers," he added. "We want to meet increasing demand for satellite launches with our Service & Solutions promise. That means we will not take a contract for a satellite we cannot launch. While others may be willing to employ a 'take the money and run' approach to their service offering, we will continue to over-perform on our promises to commercial and institutional customers alike."

With Arianespace poised to celebrate its 28th anniversary of Ariane's maiden flight on Christmas Eve in 1979, Le Gall noted the company has launched the first spacecraft for 26 new satellite companies - literally getting these new players off the ground. This number will reach 28 in 2008, when Arianespace is to orbit ProtoStar-1 and TerreStar-1, which will be the largest telecommunications satellite ever built by Space Systems Loral.

Le Gall was introduced for his Washington Space Business Roundtable speech by TerreStar Chief Technical Officer Dennis Matheson, who said Arianespace is "the best vendor" his company has ever worked with.

"Arianespace's cooperation, leadership and their ability to adapt with us is unprecedented," Matheson stated. "We believe this is a direct result of the leadership of Mr. Le Gall, and the company's business acumen."