Arianespace is participating in the 2016 ILA Berlin Air Show, from June 1 to 4, 2016, using this major international showcase to reaffirm its leadership in the commercial launch services market and its commitment to preparing tomorrow’s European launch vehicles.

Also in the spotlight will be Arianespace’s long-standing and preferred relationship with Germany, a major player in the European space industry.

Stéphane Israël, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Arianespace, will take part in the roundtable, “From Old Space to New Space – Global Dimensions”, during ILA Space Day on June 2 at 11:00 am. Visitors to the show are welcome to visit Arianespace Stand 103 in Hall 4.

Arianespace confirms its market leadership

Since being founded over 35 years ago, Arianespace has become the benchmark in commercial launch services, having orbited more than 500 satellites to date.

Arianespace deploys a family of three launchers, Ariane 5, Soyuz and Vega, setting a new record for this family in 2015 by carrying out 12 successful launches in 12 months from the Guiana Space Center in Kourou, French Guiana (South America). These launches orbited 21 payloads, including 11 for governments, allowing Arianespace to post total revenues for the year of 1.433 billion euros.

• DLR: design services and operation of rocket engine test stands at Lampoldshausen.
• Airbus Safran Launchers GmbH: manufacture and integration of the upper stages EPS (storable propellant stage) and ESC-A (cryogenic propellant stage) in Bremen, and manufacture of engine parts in Ottobrunn.

Arianespace’s aim in 2016 is to launch up to eight Ariane 5, two Soyuz and two Vega rockets. The company is on track to meet this objective, having already successfully carried out four launches since the start of the year: two Ariane 5 and two Soyuz missions.

The next launch, the third Ariane 5 mission of the year, is scheduled for June 8, and will launch satellites for the Indonesian bank PT. Bank Rakyat Indonesia and DISH Network Corporation.

Arianespace’s dynamic sales success has brought its current order backlog to 56 launches, worth 5.3 billion euros, for 23 Ariane 5, 23 Soyuz and 10 Vega launches.

Germany, a preferred partner

Germany is a long-standing Arianespace partner. In fact, German companies hold nearly 20% of Arianespace’s share capital (11.59% by Airbus Safran Launchers GmbH and 8.26% by MT Aerospace, part of OHB).

As one of Europe’s leading space powers, Germany is a major contributor to its launcher programs, especially Ariane 5, with a budget share of 16.5%.

The country’s industrial skills deployed on Europe’s Ariane 5 heavy launcher have played a major role in its success. The main contributors are the German space agency DLR and the two German shareholders in Arianespace:

• DLR: design services and operation of rocket engine test stands at Lampoldshausen.
• Airbus Safran Launchers GmbH: manufacture and integration of the upper stages EPS (storable propellant stage) and ESC-A (cryogenic propellant stage) in Bremen, and manufacture of engine parts in Ottobrunn.
• MT Aerospace: manufacture of booster casings and structures (ESC-A tanks and forward skirt for the cryogenic main stage) in Augsburg.

MT Aerospace, Cegelec GmbH and RMT conduct various launch infrastructure operations at the Guiana Space Center.

Germany has also helped promote European launchers by choosing Arianespace for a number of launches, including for example the COMSATBW 1 and 2 satellites, launched in 2009 and 2010 by Ariane 5 for the German defense ministry.

Arianespace is also very proud of being chosen to launch a number of satellites built by OHB:

• AG 1 for the operator Hispasat, based on the SmallGEO platform developed by OHB within the scope of ESA programs.
• The 22 FOC Galileo satellites built by OHB on behalf of the European Commission and ESA.

Gearing up for tomorrow’s European launchers

Germany, a major player in shaping the future of the European space industry, took an essential role in the decisions made during last year’s ESA ministerial-level conference that launched the Ariane 6 and Vega-C programs. The country’s share in activities specifically concerning Ariane 6 amounts to 713 million euros (23,6%), while its participation in the P120 solid rocket motor to be shared by Ariane 6 and Vega-C is worth 147 million euros (20,5%).

Arianespace is gearing up to start the marketing of Ariane 6 by the end of 2016, once ESA finishes its Program Implementation Review (PIR). Marketing of the upgraded Vega-C light launcher should start about the same time.

Fully committed to the success of European projects, Arianespace carried out eight missions in 2015 dedicated to European governments and institutions. In 2016, Arianespace has already performed two launches in support of flagship projects for Europe:

• Sentinel-1B, an Earth observation satellite launched on April 25, 2016 for the ambitious Copernicus environmental monitoring program.
• Two more Galileo satellites, launched on May 24, 2016. To date Arianespace has launched 14 of the 30 satellites planned for Europe’s global satellite navigation system.

It will take a further step forward on November 17, 2016, when the Ariane 5 ES launcher orbits four more Galileo satellites. Two more missions dedicated to Galileo are slated in 2017 and 2018, also using an Ariane 5 ES.

During this major event, Arianespace Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Stéphane Israël said: “At the 2016 ILA Berlin Air Show, Arianespace is reaffirming its commitment to our primary mission, namely ensuring independent access to space for Europe, via our family of launchers. We are especially pleased with Germany’s role in the decisions made at the last ESA ministerial-level conference, in particular the idea of developing synergies between the new launchers, Ariane 6 and Vega-C.  These two new launch vehicles, the cornerstone of our continuous innovation approach, will enable Europe to maintain its leadership in the commercial market while also providing a solution that addresses its governmental requirements.”

About Arianespace

Arianespace uses space to make life better on Earth by providing launch services for all types of satellites into all orbits. It has orbited more than 500 satellites since 1980, using its family of three launchers, Ariane, Soyuz and Vega, from launch sites in French Guiana (South America) and Baikonur, Kazakhstan. Arianespace is headquartered in Evry, near Paris, and has a technical facility at the Guiana Space Center, Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana, plus local offices in Washington, D.C., Tokyo and Singapore.