[Satellite TODAY 01-30-13] Astrium has won a major new deal from the European Space Agency (ESA) worth 108 million euros ($146 million), the company announced Jan. 30. The prime contractor agreements cover the development of the Ariane 6 and Ariane 5 ME launchers. The contracts follow on from the decisions reached at the ESA Ministerial Council meeting in Naples late last year. 

 

    Astrium, the prime contractor of the Ariane 5 since 2003, will first conduct the initial definition and feasibility studies for the future Ariane 6. The vehicle’s design outlines it as a modular rocket with a payload capacity of 3 to 6.5 metric tons in geostationary orbit. Its configuration includes two lower stages fueled by solid propellant, and a cryogenic upper stage powered by a Vinci® restartable engine, developed by Snecma (Safran Group).

 

    Astrium must now study the various possible configurations for the vehicle and propose the best solutions to meet ESA’s technical, scheduling and budgetary objectives. 

 

    Additionally, the company will continue the development of the next-generation Ariane 5, called Ariane 5 ME (Midlife Evolution). This update is expected to boost launch capacity by 20 percent compared to the existing launcher without increasing the price; this means that costs must be reduced by 20 percent per kilogram. ESA expects the Ariane 5 ME to be ready for launch by 2017.