Arianespace Plugs Flexibility Of Ariane 5 (Mar. 8)
Ariane 5's competitive strength as a capable and flexible single-source launch solution was underscored today at an annual gathering of satellite telecommunications industry leaders in Washington, D.C.
Addressing a session of the Satellite 2002 conference, Arianespace, Inc. President Clayton Mowry said Ariane 5 can accommodate the full range of telecommunications spacecraft - from the lighter-weight platforms in the 1.5 ton category to the heavyweight 7-ton giants.
"We are the only launch service that allows complete design flexibility, thanks to Ariane 5's dual-launch capability and its standard 5-meter-wide fairing," Mowry told the Satellite 2002's panel session on launchers. "We can accommodate everything from the largest satellites on the market to the smallest by providing dedicated launches when necessary, and pairing satellites in other instances."
With this flexibility, Arianespace is able to tailor Ariane 5 missions to the actual requirements of its customers. "If midway through construction the manufacturer realizes its satellite will be heavier than originally expected, it is not a problem for us," he explained. "Rather than forcing the manufacturer to meet the launcher's restrictions, we tailor the launch to the customer's needs."
Ariane 5 benefits from Arianespace's two decades of commercial launch operations with Ariane 4 - which demonstrated the company's ability to manage dual satellite missions to the advantage of its customers, and showed how a single-source vehicle could become the industry reference
Arianespace has been dual manifesting satellites on Ariane 4 for 20 years, and we've launched 133 of the 210 commercial satellites currently in operation - so it is not a problem for us," Mowry said. "Arianespace believes the so-called 'backup' dual-source launcher schemes of our competitors are just marketing tools that do not match any real customer demand."
Last week's highly successful Ariane 5 flight satellite reconfirmed the launcher's operational capabilities, and set the stage for a busy launch year from the Spaceport in French Guiana. The 2002 mission schedule includes Arianespace's introduction of the increased-lift Ariane 5 version that will be able to carry 10 tons to geostationary transfer orbit.
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Ariane 5: Arianespace's Single-Source Launch Solution For The World's Telecommunications Operators
