Displaying items by tag: Arianespace

Vega (Vettore Europeo di Generazione Avanzata - European Advanced Generation Carrier) is an expendable launch system developed for Arianespace jointly by the Italian Space Agency (ASI) and the European Space Agency (ESA). Italy is the leading contributor to the Vega program of ESA; other participants include France, Belgium, Spain, The Netherlands, Switzerland and Sweden. ^{1) 2) 3) 4)}

The program began in 1998, it is managed jointly by an IPT (Integrated Project Team) composed of staff from ESA, ASI and CNES. The industrial consortium for the construction of the launcher is lead by the prime contractor ELV S.p.A. of Italy.

Arianespace was founded in 1980 as the world’s first satellite launch company. Today, it has 21 shareholders from 10 European countries. Since its creation, Arianespace has launched with Ariane launchers 298 payloads, accounting for more than half of the commercial satellites now in service worldwide.

In 2010, the company had revenues of 897 M€. As of 1st July 2011, Arianespace had 332 employees, including 258 at the company’s headquarters in Evry, near Paris, 63 at the Guiana Space Center in French Guiana, launch site for Ariane 5, Soyuz and Vega, and 11 at local offices in Washington DC (United States), Tokyo (Japan) and Singapore.

Arianespace offers launch service & solutions to satellite operators from around the world, including both private companies and government agencies, based on a complete family of launchers:

• Ariane 5 heavy-lift launch vehicle, operated at the Guiana Space Center (60 launches, including 46 successful launches in a row),  
• Soyuz medium launcher, which has been operated at Baikonur since 1999 (23 commercial launches, all successful), and which, after the success of the first launch on 21 October 2011, is now being operated at the Guiana Space Center,
• Vega light launcher, which will be operated at the Guiana Space Center starting 2012.

 The technical performance of its launch vehicles and a substantial order book have made Arianespace the world leader in satellite launch services for the last few years (as of 2012), with a market share exceeding 50%.