At APSCC 2012 (Asia-Pacific Satellite Communications, Broadcasting and Space Conference) in Seoul, South Korea from September 25 to 27, Arianespace reaffirmed its position as the benchmark satellite launch service provider in the Asia-Pacific region.

Tom Choi, co-founder and Chief Executive of Asia Broadcast Satellite (ABS), one of the leading operators in the region, was named Satellite Executive of the Year during this year’s event.

He received the award from Jean-Yves le Gall, Chairman and CEO of Arianespace. Founded in 1980, Arianespace was the world’s first satellite launch company and continues to confirm its position as No. 1 worldwide. It is a leading sponsor of the APSCC event, attended by more than 300 professionals from the satellite industry, including operators and insurance firms.

Over three decades of success

Since being founded in 1980 Arianespace has signed over 300 launch contracts and has launched 305 satellites for 80 customers using 208 Ariane rockets – more than half of all the commercial satellites now in service worldwide. Arianespace and Starsem, its European-Russian subsidiary, have also carried out 25 commercial launches of Soyuz from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. With Soyuz and Vega now joining Ariane 5 at the Guiana Space Center in French Guiana, Arianespace operates a complete family of launch vehicles, capable of launching all types of satellites for all customers.

Ariane 5, Soyuz and Vega

With 50 successful launches in a row, Ariane 5 continues to confirm its technical and operational maturity, launch after launch. It guarantees independent access to space for Europe, and is, in fact, one of the most eloquent examples of the ongoing construction of Europe. Based on its successful track record and timely launches, with quality clearly outpacing that of its competitors, Ariane 5 has become the benchmark in space transportation for all customers, whether national or international agencies, governments or private industry. In less than ten years, 50 Ariane 5 launchers have successfully orbited 90 main payloads and ten auxiliary payloads, with a cumulated weight exceeding 400 tons. In addition to communications satellites, Ariane 5 has also orbited a number of weather, defense and scientific satellites, along with the 20-ton ATV, which ferries supplies to the International Space Station. Four Ariane 5 rockets have already been launched this year, along with one Vega.

Three more Ariane 5 launches are scheduled by the end of the year, plus two Soyuz launches from the Guiana Space Center. The next Ariane 5 launch is scheduled for September 28, and will orbit the Astra 2F and GSAT-10 satellites. On September 17 Starsem successfully carried out its 25th mission in Baikonur, orbiting the European meteorological satellite MetOp-B. The next Soyuz mission is scheduled for October 12 at the Guiana Space Center, with two Galileo satellites.

Record order book

Building on its wide range of launchers and the proven reliability and availability of its launch services, Arianespace wins more than half of the commercial launch contracts that come up for bid in the open international market every year. Arianespace currently holds a record backlog of orders from 27 different customers: 30 satellites to be launched by Ariane 5 into geostationary transfer orbit (GTO), four dedicated Ariane 5 launches, 14 dedicated Soyuz launches, and three Vega launches, for a total value exceeding 4 billion euros.

Arianespace in the Asia-Pacific

Since opening a Singapore office in December 1996, Arianespace has become a major partner to operators and manufacturers in the Asia-Pacific region. Arianespace has signed a total of 54 launch contracts with 14 regional operators, giving it a market share of 65%. Arianespace has four more satellites in its order book to be launched for Asia-Pacific operators: ABS-2 (ABS), Jabiru-1 (NewSat), Measat-3B (Measat) and Optus-10 (SingTel Optus).