[Satellite News 09-14-10] Arianespace, which recently signed a production contract with the European Space Agency (ESA) to produce the first operational Vega rocket launch, is looking to expand its order book with a wider variety of services, CEO Jean-Yves Le Gall told satellite industry players at the 2010 World Space Business Week conference.
    The launcher is enjoying a steady stream of business, which consists of the launch of 32 GTO satellites, six Ariane 5 flights for the Automated Transfer Vehicle and 17 Soyuz launches, with an 18th launch contract for Soyuz is expected to be announced soon.
    When combined with the future services offered by Vega, Le Gall said the company expects a sustained mission rate for the coming years. “Although there are some that say we are nearing a downturn, I believe this is a market that will continue to develop. For example, we know there will be a continuing need for satellite relay capacity in mobile communications, as well as for the delivery of high-definition television.  In addition, the explosion in 3-D also will drive the need for satellite capacity once this type of television content starts to be delivered to homes.”
    Three more Ariane 5 flights are planned before the end of 2010. The next launch, now fast-tracked for Oct. 28 due to satellite production delays, will carry Eutelsat’s W3B satellite and the B-Sat Corp.’s BSAT-3b spacecraft. The Eutelsat W3B satellite was transferred to Ariane 5 from a competitive launch vehicle that could not orbit the spacecraft in time.
    Arianespace’s second Ariane 5 mission of 2010 is targeted for the end of November. The company will launch the Intelsat 17 and Hylas-1 payloads. Ariane 5’s final flight of 2010 is set for late December and will carry either the second Automated Transfer Vehicle or the Hispasat 1E and Koreasat 6 spacecraft on the same launch.
    The company also has a Soyuz launch planed for Oct. 19 from the Baikonur Cosmodrome. The misson will be performed by its Starsem affiliate to launch the first of Globalstar’s second-generation satellites. The Soyuz used for the launch will be equipped with the Fregat upper stage, compared to the previous eight missions for Globalstar, which utilized an earlier Soyuz version with the Ikar upper stage.
    Le Gall said that three more Soyuz flights are planned from Baikonur Cosmodrome for Globalstar, carrying a complement of six second-generation satellites on each launch. Soyuz is planned to find a new home at the French Guiana Spaceport next year, with three missions planned from the facility in 2011. Le Gall said Soyuz’s maiden flight from the Spaceport will be planned in the first few months of 2011 and its payload will be determined before the end of 2010. 
    Le Gall said Arianespace’s choices for the first flight include the French Pleiades 1 satellite, a dual launch with Chile’s SSOT small Earth observation platform and an auxiliary payload for the French Ministry of Defense, or the first In-Orbit Validation satellite for Europe’s Galileo space-based satellite navigation system.
    The lightweight Vega represents the third launcher in Arianespace’s family of commercial vehicles and is planned to perform its first flight in 2011 from its French Guiana Spaceport. Vega is a small launch vehicle with three solid-propulsion stages, and a fourth stage with a re-ignitable liquid rocket engine. Used primarily to launch small satellites into low Earth orbit or Sun-synchronous orbit, Vega will offer payload capacity of 1,500 kg into polar orbit at 700 km altitude.
    Arianespace’s Vega development deal is part of an ESA Vega program that is jointly financed by Italy, France, Spain, Belgium, the Netherlands, Switzerland and Sweden.  In addition, the company signed a framework agreement with Vega prime contractor ELV to deliver five launchers to Arianespace. ELV, based in Colleferro, Italy, is 70 owned by Avio and 30 percent owned by the Italian space agency ASI.
    Le Gall said that his company’s reputation remains its most valuable asset as demonstrated by the variety of its backlog. “The result of our service quality is reflected in several of these new contracts, including the order for Hughes Network Systems’ Jupiter satellite – for which I am particularly proud. We first demonstrated our flexibility for Hughes with our launch of its Spaceway 3 satellite in 2007, which was orbited on short notice and within the promised deadline, and the customer showed its appreciation by coming back with this follow-up order … Taking all of this into consideration, there is a very good future ahead for the satellite industry.”