Latest News
 |
|
Flight VA213’s heavy-lift Ariane 5, shown in the ELA-3 launch zone prior to liftoff with ATV Albert Einstein.
Image credit: Arianespace |
[Satellite TODAY 06-10-13] Arianespace has signed a more comprehensive MOU with Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) as the two companies look to increase their work together in the launch services market. Under the new MOU signed late last week, both companies have agreed to collectively probe the creation of innovative new launch services and standardization of satellite preparation tasks at launch sites as a follow-up to their cooperative achievements to date.
While collaboration between MHI and Arianespace is nothing new, Jacques Breton, senior vice president, sales & customer service, Arianespace, told SatelliteTODAY.com, that this new agreement is “broader” than previous ones.
“This agreement is a natural continuation of our long relationship. Cooperation until now has tended to focus on specific topics such as our backup offer. The new agreement covers a potentially broader area and includes more flexibility to discuss creating innovative services beneficial to customers,” he said.
The cooperation between Arianespace and Japan has a long history, according to Breton, and serves as the basis for a further agreement. “It started in the 1990s when satellite interface commonalities between Ariane 4 and H2 were discussed between Arianespace and NASDA (now JAXA). This study eventually led to the commercial backup agreement among Arianespace, MHI and Sea Launch known as the Launch Services Alliance. Based on this history, and considering the fact that MHI wishes to enter the commercial market, it is worthwhile to discuss with them joint work towards innovative launch services which can be mutually beneficial through expanding the market,” Breton said.
Arianespace has a traditionally strong position in the Japanese market; it has launched 27 commercial satellites in it, which is about 10 percent of its total business. The company has also launched JAXA’s (then NASDA) large antenna demonstration payloads, and was additionally entrusted as a backup service for the launch of a Japanese governmental satellite (MTSAT-1R).
“The similarities between Europe and Japan are essentially that both have limited governmental launch demand. Also, both have a principle of peaceful use of space. Arianespace and MHI have a responsibility to keep our respective launch systems reliable and ready for our governments. Finally, both launchers are manufactured under high western standards and up-to-date, cost-based industrial structures,” Breton said.
The launch services market is facing a key year in 2013, with ILS and Sea Launch looking to rebound, as well as SpaceX launching their first satellite for a commercial customer, SES. Regarding the trends taking place, Breton predicts a seady market with possible game-changing moves.
“In terms of demand, the market is rather stable with an expected number of launch services contracts that should be around 20 which is the average we observed for the past years and predict for the near future. We still identify the two sweet spots of large and small satellites – small being now between 2.2 and 3.3 metric tons, and large being the 6-plus metric tons,” he said. “Nevertheless, this year, in terms of offer, we could see the debut of one new entrant on the GTO market. Of course, we are well aware that to establish yourself as a key player you must offer success, launch after launch, be able to launch as often as you predict, and this requires a lot of efforts. This future will tell.”
Get the latest Via Satellite news!
Subscribe Now