Arianespace CEO Jean-Yves Le Gall provided an update briefing for members of the Italian news media in Rome, while also underscoring the importance that Italy plays in the European space program.

The meeting, which brought together reporters from a range of Italian news organizations, enabled Le Gall to highlight Arianespace's successes during the past year and to provide an outlook for the company's 2007 launch activity.

Le Gall noted Italy's leading role in Europe's development of the new Vega lightweight launcher, which will join Arianespace's launch vehicle family in operations from Europe's Spaceport in French Guiana.

The Spaceport's ELA-1 launch pad is now being revamped to accommodate Vega, while the initial static test firing of Vega's P-80 first stage was performed last November on the Spaceport's solid rocket motor test stand - with data confirming its complete success