Press Release
Arianespace chosen to launch first Galileo satellites
Le Bourget, June 15, 2009
At the Paris Air Show today, Jean-Yves Le Gall, Chairman and CEO of Arianespace, and René Oosterlinck, Director of the Galileo Programme and Navigation related activities at the European Space Agency (ESA), signed a launch contract for the first four satellites of the Galileo constellation (IOV—“In Orbit Validation” programme).
The four satellites will be boosted into a circular orbit at 23 000 km. The satellites will be launched in pairs, by two Soyuz launchers from the Guiana Space Center at the beginning of the second half of 2010.
Arianespace and subsidiary Starsem have already launched the Giove-A and Giove-B satellites to secure the frequency slots for the Galileo constellation.
With its complete family of launchers, Ariane 5, Soyuz and Vega, Arianespace guarantees independent access to space for all of Europe. Arianespace offers an excellent solution to deploy the entire Galileo constellation.
The contract is carried out under a conjoint ESA/European Union programme.
About Arianespace
Arianespace is the world’s leading launch Service & Solutions company, delivering innovative offer to its customers since 1980. Backed by its 23 shareholders and the European Space Agency, Arianespace proposes an unrivalled launcher family, comprising Ariane 5, Soyuz and Vega, and an international workforce renowned for their culture of commitment and excellence. As of 15 June 2009, Arianespace had launched a total of 269 payloads, including more than half of all the commercial satellites now in service worldwide. It has a backlog of 25 Ariane 5 and 10 Soyuz launches, equal to 3 years of business.
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