PARIS --- Ariane 5, developed and built by Astrium, enjoyed its 50th launch from Kourou in French Guyana at 00h01 (Paris time). François Auque, CEO of Astrium, congratulated and thanked all concerned “for this 36th successful launch in a row, which once again demonstrates the reliability of this Astrium-built launcher.”
It is precisely this reliability that is the focus of attention for the teams at Astrium. Following the recent launch postponements, Alain Charmeau, CEO of Astrium Space Transportation, together with his industrial partners, launched an independent audit of the propulsion system equipment in order to confirm the robustness of the industrial production chain. Astrium is responsible for the entire industrial chain and therefore has the obligation of supplying its customer with a launcher of optimum reliability.
“The independent audit is a continuation of the previous steps we have taken in this area, notably with regard to the electrical equipments,” explained Alain Charmeau. “This will ensure the reliability of the launcher in the long-term. The initial conclusions are expected by late June 2010. The final report will be submitted before the end of October 2010.”
Astrium, a wholly owned subsidiary of EADS, is dedicated to providing civil and defence space systems and services. In 2009, Astrium had a turnover of EUR 4.8 billion and more than 15,000 employees in France, Germany, the United Kingdom, Spain and the Netherlands. EADS is a global leader in aerospace, defence and related services. In 2009, EADS generated revenues of EUR 42.8 billion and employed a workforce of more than 119, 000.
