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For more information, visit us on www.arianespace.com
Arianespace was founded in 1980 as the world’s first launch Service & Solutions company. Today, Arianespace has 21
shareholders from ten European countries (including French space agency CNES with 34%, Astrium with 30%, and all
European companies participating in the construction of Ariane launchers).
Since the outset, Arianespace has signed more than 300 launch contracts and launched 294 satellites. More than two-thirds
of the commercial satellites now in service worldwide were launched by Arianespace.
The company posted sales exceeding 900 million euros in 2010.
As of January 1, 2011, Arianespace had 331 employees, working at the company’s headquarters in Evry (near Paris), the Guiana
Space Center in French Guiana, where the Ariane, Soyuz and Vega launch pads are located, and offices in Washington, D.C.,
Tokyo and Singapore.
Arianespace offers launch Service & Solutions to satellite operators from around the world, including private companies and
government agencies. These Service & Solutions call on three launch vehicles:
• The Ariane 5 heavy launcher, operated from the Guiana Space Center in Kourou, French Guiana.
• The Soyuz medium launcher. Currently in operation at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan under the responsibility
of Starsem, a Euro-Russian subsidiary of Arianespace, it will be launched from the Guiana Space Center starting in 2011.
• The Vega light launcher, to be launched from the Guiana Space Center starting in 2011.
With its family of launchers Arianespace won over half of the commercial launch contracts up for bid worldwide in the last
two years. Arianespace now has a backlog of more than 40 satellites to be launched.
The Guiana Space Center: Europe’s Spaceport
For over 30 years, the Guiana Space Center (CSG), Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana, has offered a complete array of
facilities for rocket launches.
It mainly comprises the following:
• CNES/CSG technical center, including various resources and facilities that are critical to launch base operations, such as
radars, telecom network, weather station, receiving sites for launcher telemetry, etc.
• Payload processing facilities (ECPU), in particular the S5 facility.
• Ariane launch complexes (ELA), comprising the launch zone and launcher integration buildings.
• Various industrial facilities, including those operated by Regulus, Europropulsion, Air Liquide Spacial Guyane and Astrium,
which contribute to the production of Ariane 5 elements. A total of 40 European manufacturers and local companies are
involved in operations.
The Guiana Space Center is preparing to welcome two new launch vehicles, Soyuz and Vega. The construction of the Soyuz
launch complex (ELS) and of the Vega launch complex (SLV) have now been completed.
Europe’s commitment to independent access to space is based on actions by three key players: the European Space Agency
(ESA), French space agency CNES and Arianespace.
ESA has helped change the role of the Guiana Space Center, in particular by funding the construction of the launch complexes,
payload processing buildings and associated facilities. Initially used for the French space program, the Guiana Space Center
has gradually become Europe’s own spaceport, according to the terms of an agreement between ESA and the French
government.
To ensure that the Spaceport is available for its programs, ESA takes charge of the lion’s share of CNES/CSG fixed expenses,
and also helps finance the fixed costs for the ELA launch complexes.
French space agency CNES plays several roles at the Space Center.
• It designs all infrastructures and, on behalf of the French government, is responsible for safety and security.
• It provides the resources needed to prepare the satellites and launcher for missions.
Whether during tests or actual launches, CNES is also responsible for overall coordination of operations. It collects and
processes all data transmitted from the launcher via a network of receiving stations, to track Ariane rockets throughout their
trajectory.
In French Guiana, Arianespace is the contracting authority in charge of operating the family of three launchers, Ariane, Soyuz
and Vega.
Arianespace supervises the integration and functional checks of the Ariane launcher, built by Astrium as production prime
contractor, in the Launcher Integration Building (BIL). It then carries out acceptance tests of the launcher at the same time as
satellite preparations in the Payload Preparation Complex (EPCU), operated by the Guiana Space Center (CSG). Arianespace
next oversees final assembly of the launcher and integration of satellites in the Final Assembly Building (BAF), followed by
transfer of the launcher to Launch Zone No. 3 (ZL3), and then final countdown and liftoff from Launch Complex No. 3 (CDL3).
Arianespace has created a top-flight team and array of technical resources to get launchers and satellites ready for their
missions. Building on this unrivalled expertise and outstanding local facilities, Arianespace is now the undisputed benchmark
in the global launch services market.
Appendix 4. Arianespace and the Guiana Space Center