EVRY, France - The first commercial launch of the new heavy-lift Ariane-5 rocket -- set for December 10 in French Guiana (South America) -- is essential if Arianespace is to maintain its leadership in the booming billion-dollar launch market of 21st century commercial satellites.
Between now and 2003, the new Ariane-5, which qualified for commercial exploitation in October 1998 after two successful test flights, will be progressively introduced, parallel to the phasing out of the Ariane-4 -- the highly successful workhorse of privately-operated Arianespace for the past 11 years.
This entirely new rocket is able to put 20 percent more payload into geostationary orbit than the Ariane-4 and will reach the same production cost in a few years.
Of 14 commercial Ariane launches scheduled next year, six will rise from the jungle of the world's busiest satellite launching site on Ariane-5s. The remainder will ride Ariane 4s. Arianespace's current launch backlog of 42 satellites represents $3.3 billion in business.
"During this transition period, our company will deal with its customers like an airline," said Patrick Rudloff, Arianespace vice-president of business development, meaning that passengers know their destination but not usually the type of aircraft. "We'll give the priority to the customer's schedule," he said.
Arianespace's initial test of the new rocket in 1996 ended in failure due to a serious software problem related to the inertial guidance system. But the European consortium has been so confident of its Ariane-5 that it offers customers a free re-flight in the event of a launch failure - an industry first.
To promote their new launcher, Arianespace ordered 20 more Ariane-5s this summer, to add to the 14 already built in 1995. Facing the emerging tough competition of the low-cost EELVs (Evolved Expandable Launch Vehicle), with Boeing's new Delta-4 series and the new Lockheed Martin Atlas-5 series set to fly within two years, Arianespace engineers are already upgrading Ariane-5 performance.
The current Ariane-5 can put two satellites totaling 5.9 tons into geostationary orbit. By 2002, capacity should reach 10 tons and in 2005, 11 tons, helping keep Arianespace competitive in the cutthroat international launch market where it leads currently with a 60 percent share.
In 2003, the 51-meter high rocket will also be used by Europe to provide logistics to the International Space Station by carrying nine tons of water, oxygen and propellant into lower orbit.
advertisement
