Paris Air Show
Aerospace |
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Arianespace
Announces New Launch Contract
Paris (June 19, 1997) -- In statements released today, Arianespace announced
a new scientific launch mission contract from the European Space Agency
(ESA). Following an earlier contract from ESA for the Envisat 1 Earth observation
satellite, the European Space Agency has Although pleased with the new order, Arianespace officials wouldn't dispute announcements earlier in the week by ILS - the joint venture between Lockheed Martin and Krunichev - that the Russian-U.S. alliance had achieved a 50 percent market share in just two short years. Arianespace now claims a backlog of 42 launches while ILS' backlog has grown to 49. Arianespace representatives, however, do suggest that ILS numbers are slightly inflated because of the inclusion of options. Arianespace also estimates their market share at 50 percent.
The company also announced an extension of their multiple-launch long-term contract with Space Systems/Loral to 2001, an agreement Arianespace says, "ensures that one of the world's largest satellite manufacturers will have access to space and guaranteed launch services during a period of very high market demand for these services." Since its creation in 1980, Arianespace has signed 174 launch service
contracts and boosted 132 satellites into orbit, including 117 for telecommunications
applications. |
ordered an additional launch for the X-ray Multi-Mirror
observatory. The launch for the XMM is slated to take place at the European
Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana, during one of two windows: summer of
1999 or the winter of 1999-2000.
The launch services company would not discuss details for two additional
launch contracts signed in recent months, claiming, "the commercial
customer prefers to remain undisclosed for the moment." Eight new contracts
have been awarded to Arianespace since the beginning of the year.