Arianespace orders 35 launchers from Astrium
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Astrium is a wholly owned subsidiary of EADS dedicated to providing civil and defence space systems and services.
The Ariane 5 ECA launcher contract signed on Friday confirms the full-fledged commitment of Arianespace and the European space industry to the long-term availability, reliability and competitiveness of Ariane 5. These capabilities ensure both independent access to space for Europe and the best launch Service & Solutions on the market for all of Arianespace's customers.
This contract follows the letter of intent signed at the Paris Air Show in 2007, at a ceremony attended by French President Nicolas Sarkozy. “The launchers in the PB batch will be used starting in the second half of 2010, after the 30 Ariane 5 launchers ordered in 2004 (“PA†batch),†a statement released from Arianespace said.
With this contract, Arianespace now has 49 Ariane 5 launchers under production, the statement added.
Astrium is the sole prime contractor for Ariane 5, delivering a complete, tested and integrated launcher to Arianespace at the Guiana Space Center. Astrium manages all industry contracts for the 12 countries who are partners in the Ariane programme.
