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Corporate, Soyuz May 11, 2010

Soyuz at the Guiana Space Center: Soyuz Consultation Committee sets inaugural launch for fourth quarter of 2010

The Soyuz Consultation Committee, comprising representatives of the Russian space agency Roscosmos, the European Space Agency (ESA), the French space agency CNES and Arianespace, met on Tuesday, May 11 in French Guiana.

It confirmed that the inaugural launch of Soyuz from the Guiana Space Center would take place during the fourth quarter of 2010.

The meeting was called to take note of actual work progress on the Soyuz launch pad at the Guiana Space Center, and to approve the overall timetable for assembly and testing leading up to the inaugural launch.

Nearly all Russian and European systems are now undergoing qualification. The first Soyuz launcher to lift off from the Guiana Space Center is already assembled in the Preparation and Testing Building.

The meeting of the Soyuz Consultative Committee was co-chaired by Anatoli Perminov, Director of Roscosmos, Jean-Jacques Dordain, Director-General of ESA, Yannick d’Escatha, President of CNES, and Jean-Yves Le Gall, Chairman and CEO of Arianespace. Also participating in the meeting were the heads of the ESA Launcher Directorate, the Guiana Space Center, the CNES Launcher Directorate, the Samara TsSKB-Progress space center (prime contractor for the Soyuz launch system), NPO-Lavotchkine (prime contractor for the Fregat upper stage) and TsENKI (prime contractor for ground infrastructures).

With Ariane 5, Soyuz and Vega all deployed from the Guiana Space Centre, Europe will offer a complete range of launch vehicles, enabling it to meet the full range of requirements for all Arianespace customers.

About Soyuz at the Guiana Space Center

The European Space Agency (ESA) set up the program “Soyuz at the Guiana Space Center (CSG)” to bolster collaboration with Russia on launch vehicles. The program is organized as follows:

  • ESA is the owner and responsible for the full development of the program and hands over the Soyuz Launch Complex facilities to Arianespace for operation.
  • Russian Federal Space Agency (Roscosmos) bears overall responsibility for the program on the Russian side, and coordinates the activities of Russian industry involved in the program.
  • French space agency CNES is project prime contractor and system architect for the Soyuz launch system at CSG.
  • Arianespace is responsible for the supply of Russian systems to CSG, coordination and support of the Russian activities for the development phase. Arianespace will be the Soyuz-ST launch operator at CSG for the operational phase.

About Arianespace

Arianespace is the world’s leading launch Service & Solutions company, delivering innovation to its customers since 1980. Backed by 24 shareholders and the European Space Agency, Arianespace offers an unrivaled family of launchers, comprising Ariane 5, Soyuz and Vega, and an international workforce renowned for a culture of commitment and excellence. As of May 1, 2010, Arianespace had launched a total of 277 payloads, including more than half of all the commercial satellites now in service worldwide. It has a backlog of 24 Ariane 5 and 17 Soyuz launches, equal to more than three years of business.

Soyuz au Centre Spatial Guyanais ; Réunion en Guyane du Comité Consultatif Soyuz ; Lancement inaugural au quatrième trimestre 2010
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Союз в Гвианском Космическом Центре ; Заседание Консультативного Комитета Союз в Гвиане ; Первый запуск в четвертом квартале 2010 года
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Corporate, Soyuz May 5, 2010

Arianespace signs contract with Hughes to launch Jupiter

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