14 DAY TRIAL // In December 2010, French company Eutelsat Communications and Arianespace, the manufacturer of the Ariane 5 heavy-lift delivery system, signed a new contract of cooperation, for the 2012 launch of new satellites. The partnership is one of the longest-lasting in the industry.
The two corporations have been working with each other for more than 28 years, and have had some 25 launch campaigns together. It is only natural that they continue doing the same in the coming years.
Though the new contract was concluded last December, it was only yesterday, January 17, that its signing was announced. Officials at both companies had to wait for the details to be finalized before going public.
According to a press release published by Arianespace, the new launch campaign will take place next year, and will use the same Ariane 5 rocket as ever. The delivery system has one of the best track records in rocket history, with only a handful of failed launches in its many years of operations.
The future satellite will be launched to Earth orbit from the Kourou Spaceport in French Guyana, South America, where the European Space Agency (ESA) operates its launch facilities. The pads here can accommodate Ariane 5 rockets.
Eutelsat is currently engaged in what its management calls a significant in-orbit expansion program. By mid-2013, the corporation plans to have six new satellites in orbit to augment its operations.
“I particularly wish to thank Eutelsat for their continued confidence in our services. Arianespace is very proud of the preferred partnership we have built with Eutelsat over more than a quarter of a century,” says Arianespace Chairman and CEO Jean-Yves Le Gall.
“This contract is our 26th with Eutelsat, one of the world’s leading satellite operators, and further evidence of the outstanding service and solutions offered by Arianespace,” he goes on to say.
“With two thirds of our satellites launched by Arianespace, Eutelsat has been able to consistently count on their capacity for delivering reliability, flexibility and on-time performance.” says Michel de Rosen, the CEO of Eutelsat.
“This mission for 2012 is a new marker in a solid and longstanding relationship between our two companies, enabling Eutelsat to pursue our objective to renew and expand the resources and quality of service we provide to our customers,” he goes on to say.