Arianespace at break-even

The 2015 turnover figure, an all-time record, reflects the company’s operational performance during the year, with a total of 12 launches from the Guiana Space Center (CSG) in French Guiana, (6 by Ariane 5, 3 by Soyuz and 3 by Vega), an increase over the 11 launches carried out from CSG in 2014 (6 by Ariane 5, 4 by Soyuz and 1 by Vega).

These results are also due to the optimized scheduling of the three launch systems and shorter launch campaigns, both facilitated by the commissioning of the FCube facility at CSG. Arianespace remained at break-even in 2015, as in 2014, posting net income of €4 million.

Market leadership confirmed by record order intake

Arianespace confirmed its leadership in the commercial launch services market in 2015 by signing contracts for Ariane 5 launches of 14 geostationary satellites. The company signed a total of 33 launch contracts during the year, worth €2.5 billion, to increase its order backlog to €5.3 billion. This performance also proved the validity of the company’s service offering, which aims to strike a balance between reliability, availability and price.

Enhanced competitiveness for the Ariane, Soyuz and Vega launch systems, gearing up for the future with Ariane 6 and Vega-c

Arianespace continued to apply the competitiveness plan launched in 2014, with actions achieving concrete results such as a reduction of about 10% in annual costs for services provided by ground service firms at the Guiana Space Center.

The company’s competitiveness improvement initiative is driven by a constant focus on greater efficiency, as well as the implementation, starting April 1st, of a new organization designed to strengthen project management.

Because of these changes, plus the advent of the new Vega-C and Ariane 6 launchers, slated for first flights in 2019 and 2020, respectively, Arianespace is on track to remain the world leader in commercial launch services, while continuing to guarantee independent access to space for Europe.

Commenting on the company’s results, Arianespace Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Stéphane Israël said: “Last year was truly exceptional for Arianespace, with a new record of 12 launches for our launcher family, plus an all-time record order intake of 2.5 billion euros. This performance is of course reflected in our accounts, once again at break-even, but above all it bolsters our confidence in the future, and all the more so because the upcoming Vega-C and Ariane 6 launchers, within the scope of the industry’s new governance structure, will enable us to considerably improve our competitiveness.”

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 performed missions placing more than 500 satellites into orbit with its 3 launchers: Ariane, Soyuz and Vega.

Arianespace is headquartered in Évry, 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.