[Satellite News 12-09-09] Arianespace is on schedule to introduce its new medium-lift launch service in 2010, according to CEO Jean-Yves Le Gall, who celebrated the company’s 30th anniversary at its U.S. headquarters in Washington D.C.
    Le Gall told Satellite News that the company is eager to premiere the Soyuz in French Guiana, where the veteran Russian rocket will join the heavy-lift Ariane 5 and the lightweight Vega vehicle, also scheduled to begin service in 2010. 
    “We plan to have the first Soyuz launched in mid-2010 with the Avanti Communications Hylas satellite payload. The Soyuz launch pad and mobile gantry are almost completed and the first two launchers have arrived in French Guiana from Russia. Everything is going quite smoothly and I think ground systems will be ready by March,” said Le Gall. 
    While the Soyuz will see some minor tweaks and upgrades in its service with Arianespace, the rocket will largely resemble the vehicle that has launched 1,700 manned and unmanned missions dating back to the 1957 launch of Sputnik, the world’s first satellite. “We did not make that many changes to the rocket,” said Le Gall. “We added a new digital control system that incorporates both a digital computer and inertial measurement unit, which improves the rocket’s navigation accuracy and control capability.”
    Arianespace said its new digital control system also provides a more flexible and efficient attitude control system — crucial for controlling the enlarged Soyuz ST payload fairing at a diameter of 4.11 meters and an overall length of 11.4 meters. The control system also provides the rocket with the ability to perform in-flight roll maneuvers as well as in-plane yaw-steering maneuvers.
    In addition to the control system, Arianespace replaced Soyuz’s standard RD-0110 third-stage engine with RD-0124 engine, which aims to add an additional 34 seconds of specific impulse to increase the vehicle’s overall launch performance.
    Le Gall said the addition of the Soyuz aims to further strengthen the role that its French Guiana facility plays in the international commercial space launch community as well as boost relations with space industries in the United States, where domestic commercial providers have struggled. “In our 30-year history, we have launched almost half of all U.S. commercial satellites and we’re continuing to provide reliable service to our customers there,” said Le Gall. “As of now, Soyuz adds 10 launches to our backlog, which includes 25 Ariane 5 launches. We rely on three years worth of business.”