Latest Press releases

Corporate September 12, 2016

Arianespace confirms its status as the most reliable launch services provider in the marketplace, while actively preparing for the future in order to always better serve its clients

Arianespace is participating in the World Satellite Business Week (WSBW) conference in Paris organized by Euroconsult from September 12 to 16, as it continues to demonstrate the reliability, availability and flexibility of its launch services.

Building on a sustained operational pace, new performance records and eight contracts already signed in 2016, Arianespace is the benchmark for space transportation. The company is engaged in preparing for the future in order to always better serve its clients.

Stéphane Israël, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Arianespace, will participate in the roundtable discussion, “Towards a renewed commercial access to space”, organized during the conference on Tuesday, September 13, at 4:15 pm.

Sustained operations and new records

Arianespace’s Ariane 5 launcher set a new performance record in August 2016 as it boosted 10,735 kg into geostationary transfer orbit (GTO), marking an increase of 1,400 kg in payload capacity since the start of the Ariane 5 ECA program. Ariane 5 also celebrated its 73rd successful launch in a row in August.

Arianespace has already carried out six launches out of the 11 slated for 2016: four by Ariane 5 and two by Soyuz, sending a total of 37 metric tons net-weight into orbit, including 33 metric tons to GTO. This impressive total puts Arianespace well ahead of all its competitors.

Recognized for the reliability, availability and performance of its launch services, Arianespace has now carried out over 250 launches from the Guiana Space Center, Europe’s Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana since its inception (231 by Ariane, 15 by Soyuz, 6 by Vega).

Five more launches are scheduled before the end of the year, two by Vega and three by Ariane 5:

  • September 15: Vega launch of the PerúSAT-1 satellite for Airbus Defence and Space, along with four SkySat satellites for Terra Bella, a Google company.
  • October 4: Ariane 5 launch of Sky Muster II for nbn and GSAT-18 for the Indian Space Agency ISRO (Indian Space Research Organization).
  • November 17: launch of the first Ariane 5 ES version intended for the European Union’s Galileo program, carrying four Galileo FOC satellites.

Eight contracts won to date in 2016 and an order book worth 5.3 billion euros

The satellite market is constantly evolving, and Arianespace’s broad service offering addresses its customers’ emerging requirements. The recognized global leader in the geostationary telecommunication satellite launch market, Arianespace also offers multiple launch systems for other applications, including the dynamic small Earth observation satellite market, large constellations in low Earth orbit (for global connectivity, big data, etc.), and all-electric satellites.

At World Satellite Business Week, Arianespace is announcing the signature of three new GEO satellite launch contracts for Ariane 5, one with ISRO (Indian Space Research Organization) and two from undisclosed customers. Arianespace has won a total of eight new contracts in 2016.

Six satellites signed in 2016 for Ariane 5:

  • COMSAT NG 1 and COMSAT NG 2, on behalf of French defense procurement agency DGA.
  • ViaSat-2 for ViaSat.
  • GSAT-11 for ISRO (Indian Space Research Organization).
  • Two for undisclosed customers.

Two Vega launch contracts signed in 2016:

  • Ceres on behalf of the DGA and French space agency CNES.
  • ADM-Aeolus, on behalf of ESA.

Arianespace’s order book now stands at 5.3 billion euros for a total of 36 customers representing legacy commercial operators, space start up companies and institutional clients. The global diversity of Arianespace clients is remarkable:70% of the order book in export markets, 60% of customers outside the Europe-Middle East-Africa (EMEA) zone.

Arianespace, committed to building solid foundations for the future, for the greater benefit of all customers

On July 20, 2016, the European Commission’s Competition directorate approved the change in Arianespace’s shareholding structure, which will make Airbus Safran Launchers its majority shareholder with a 74% stake.

As part of the new governance of the launch sector that was established by the European Space Agency, this evolution allows Arianespace to offer increasingly competitive launch services. Arianespace will remain the sole interface with clients and will retain a strict neutrality when it comes to satellite manufacturers. In addition to reaffirmed ties with its industrial supply chain shareholders, Arianespace will work closer with AVIO-ELV when operating the VEGA launch vehicle. Arianespace will continue to guarantee autonomous access to space for ESA and other European space agencies. CNES will remain an essential partner to Arianespace.

Arianespace will continue to contribute concrete proposals for the development and use of the Ariane 6 and Vega C. Workshops on these new launch vehicles, the Ariane 6 and the Vega C, have already been held with Arianespace’s customers: the first Vega “User’s Day” occurred July 7 and 8, 2016 in Rome, with AVIO-ELV jointly hosting the event; the second workshop, “the Ariane 6 Users’ Club” took place September 8 and 9 in Paris with Airbus Safran Launchers as co-host. The plan is to begin selling Ariane 6 and Vega C launches by the end of the year.

Finally, Arianespace continues to improve its competitiveness even before the advent of Ariane 6 and Vega C by optimizing the cost of its launch systems and through continuously increasing the Ariane 5’s performance.

About Arianespace

To use space for a better life on earth, Arianespace guarantees access to space transportation services and solutions for any type of satellite, commercial as well as institutional, into any orbit. Since 1980, Arianespace has placed more than 500 satellites into orbit with its three launchers, Ariane, Soyuz and Vega, from French Guiana in South America, and from Baikonur, Kazakhstan (central Asia). Arianespace is headquartered in Evry, France near Paris, and has a facility at the Guiana Space Center in French Guiana, plus local offices in Washington, D.C., Tokyo and Singapore.

arianespace confirme son statut de service de lancement le plus fiable du marché et prépare activement l’avenir pour toujours mieux satisfaire ses clients
PDF / 760 KB
Corporate September 7, 2016

Arianespace chosen by ESA to launch ADM-Aeolus (Atmospheric Dynamics Mission) satellite with Vega in 2017

Read more