Press Release

The triple crown for Astrium: 47th launch of Ariane 5 a success with two satellites placed in orbit EADS Astrium

By SpaceRef Editor
October 2, 2009
Filed under , ,

1 October 2009, at 6:49 p.m. (Kourou local time), 11:59 p.m. (Paris time), Ariane 5, the launch vehicle developed and manufactured by Astrium, successfully placed in orbit the COMSATBw-1 and Amazonas 2 satellites. It was the 33rd consecutive successful launch for Ariane from Kourou in French Guiana.

Astrium CEO Francois Auque congratulated the Astrium teams based in Guiana, France, Germany, Spain and the United Kingdom and thanked them for their excellent work: “This new success confirms once again the excellent design of the Ariane 5 ECA launch vehicle.”

“This launch perfectly illustrates the wide range of skills that Astrium has to offer and how well our different divisions complement each other. Astrium Space Transportation delivered the Ariane 5 launcher right on time to Arianespace. Astrium Satellites will be delivering the two satellites–the German Armed Forces’ first military communications satellite and the new telecommunications satellite of the Spanish operator Hispasat–to their final orbital positions. And when COMSATBw-2 joins COMSATBw-1 in orbit in 2010, Astrium Services, through its subsidiary MilSat Services, will be responsible for operating the German communications satellites for a minimum of ten years. This launch was thus extremely important for all the Astrium teams.”

Astrium, a wholly owned subsidiary of EADS, is dedicated to providing civil and defence space systems and services. In 2008, Astrium had a turnover of O4.3 billion and more than 15,000 employees in France, Germany, the United Kingdom, Spain and the Netherlands. Its three main areas of activity are Astrium Space Transportation for launchers and orbital infrastructure, Astrium Satellites for spacecraft and ground segment and Astrium Services for the development and delivery of satellite services.

EADS is a global leader in aerospace, defence and related services. In 2008, EADS generated revenues of O43.3 billion and employed a workforce of more than 118, 000.

SpaceRef staff editor.