Arianespace

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Arianespace
Launch Service Provider
Industry Aerospace
Founded 1980
Headquarters Courcouronnes, France
Revenue Increase €1.4 billion (2014)[1]
Increase €3 million (2014)[1]
Number of employees
 321[1]
Website arianespace.com

Arianespace SA is a French multinational company founded in 1980 as the world's first commercial launch service provider.[2] It undertakes the production, operation, and marketing of the Ariane programme.[3] The main launch vehicles offered by the company are the Ariane 5, the Soyuz-2 as a medium-lift alternative, and the Vega as a lighter one.[4]

As of 2008, more than 240 commercial launches have occurred since May 22, 1984. Arianespace states that the total number of launch contracts signed since Ariane launches commenced operations in 1984 is 285.[3] Arianespace uses the Centre Spatial Guyanais in French Guiana as a launch site. It has its headquarters in Courcouronnes, Essonne, France,[5] near Évry.[6]

On 21 October 2011 Arianespace launched the first Soyuz rocket ever from outside former Soviet territory. The payload was two Galileo navigation satellites.[7]

The company and its infrastructure

Arianespace primary shareholders are its suppliers, in the various nations of the European Union.[8] Arianespace currently has 20 shareholders:[9]

Country Total share Shareholder Capital
 Germany 19.85% Airbus Safran Launchers GmbH 11.59%
MT Aerospace AG 8.26%
 Belgium 3.36% SABCA 2.71%
Thales Alenia Space Belgium 0.33%
Techspace Aero SA 0.32%
 Denmark - Christian Rovsing A/S -
 Spain 2.15% Airbus Defence and Space SAU 2.04%
CRISA 0.11%
 France 64.10% ARIANESPACE PARTICIPATION -
CNES 34.68%
Airbus Safran Launchers Holding 27.42%
Air Liquide SA 1.89%
Clemessy 0.11%
CIE Deutsche -
 Italy 3.38% Avio S.p.A. 3.38%
 Netherlands 1.94% Airbus Defence and Space B.V. 1.94%
 Norway 0.11% Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace AS 0.11%
 Sweden 2.45% RUAG Space AB 0.82%
GKN Aerospace Sweden AB 1.63%
  Switzerland 2.67% RUAG Schweiz AG 2.67%

Arianespace shareholding is currently being restructured with the creation of an Airbus-Safran joint venture that will develop and manufacture the Ariane 6 launcher. Their subsidiaries shareholdings will be pooled along with the purchase of the French governments CNES stake. Airbus-Safran once the restructure is complete will have a 76% shareholding while the remaining 24% will be spread across ten countries.[10]

Corporate management

Position Name[11]
CEO & Chairman Stéphane Israël
Senior Vice-President, Programs Louis Laurent
Senior Vice-President, Sales & Customers Jacques Breton
Senior Vice President, Chief Financial Officer Thomas Hundt
Vice President, Corporate Communication Isabelle Veillon

Offices

Location of Office Head of Branch
French Guiana Patrick Loire
USA Clayton Mowry
Japan Kiyoshi Takamatsu
Singapore Richard Bowles

Subsidiaries

  • Arianespace inc. (U.S. Subsidiary)
  • Arianespace Singapore PTE LTD (Asian Subsidiary)
  • Starsem S.A. (European-Russian Soyuz commercialization)

Competition and pricing

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Main article: Space launch market competition

In 2004, Arianespace held more than 50 percent of the world market for boosting satellites to geostationary transfer orbit (GTO).[12]

The disruptive force represented in new sector entrant SpaceX, forced Arianespace to cut workforce, and focus on cost-cutting, to decrease costs to remain competitive against the new low-cost entrant in the launch sector. According to one Arianespace managing director, ""It's quite clear there's a very significant challenge coming from SpaceX," he said. "Therefore things have to change … and the whole European industry is being restructured, consolidated, rationalised and streamlined."[13]

In the midst of pricing pressure from U.S. company SpaceX, Arianespace made a November 2013 announcement of pricing flexibility for the "lighter satellites" it carries to Geostationary orbits aboard its Ariane 5.[14] In early 2014, Arianespace requested additional subsidies from European governments to face the competition from SpaceX and unfavorable changes in the Euro-Dollar exchange rate.[15] Reducing pricing allowed Arianespace to sign four additional contracts in September 2014 for a lower slots on an Ariane 5 SYLDA dispenser for the satellites that otherwise could be flown on SpaceX launch vehicle. Overall Arianespace signed 11 contracts in 2014 until September with two additional being in a late stage of negotiations. As of September 2014 Arianespace has a backlog of launches worth €4.5 billion with 38 satellites to be launched on Ariane 5, 7 on Soyuz and 9 on Vega, claiming 60% of global satellite launch market.[16][17][18] By November 2014, SpaceX had "already begun to take market share"[8] from Arianespace, and Eutelsat CEO Michel de Rosen—a major customer of Arianespace—said that "Each year that passes will see SpaceX advance, gain market share and further reduce its costs through economies of scale."[8]

Launch Vehicles

Currently Arianespace operates 3 launch vehicles, including two versions of Ariane 5:

Name Payload to LEO (including SSO) Payload to GTO
Vega 1,450 kilograms (3,200 lb) -
Soyuz 4,400 kilograms (9,700 lb) 3,250 kilograms (7,170 lb)
Ariane 5 ECA - 10,500 kilograms (23,100 lb)
Ariane 5 ES 21,000 kilograms (46,000 lb) -

Additionally Arianespace offers optional back-up launch service on H-IIA through Launch Services Alliance.[19]

Ariane launch vehicles

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Main article: Ariane (rocket family)

Since the first launch in 1979, there have been several versions of the Ariane launch vehicle:

  • Ariane 1, first successful launch on December 24, 1979
  • Ariane 2, first successful launch on November 20, 1987 (the first launch on May 30, 1986 failed)
  • Ariane 3, first successful launch on August 4, 1984
  • Ariane 4, first successful launch on June 15, 1988
  • Ariane 5, first successful launch on October 30, 1997 (the first launch on June 4, 1996 failed).


Ariane's Cup

The Ariane's Cup is a sailing competition organized on behalf of the Industrials participating in the Ariane programme.


See also

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  2. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.[dead link]
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  4. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  5. ↑ "Russians, French sign space contract.(UPI Science Report)." United Press International. 12 April 2005. Retrieved on 24 September 2009.
  6. ↑ "Contact us." Arianespace. Retrieved on 24 September 2009.
  7. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  9. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  10. ↑ http://www.satellitetoday.com/launch/2015/06/16/airbus-safran-launchers-gains-cnes-35-percent-stake-in-arianespace/
  11. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  12. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  13. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  14. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  15. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  16. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  17. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  18. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  19. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
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