The order covers two batches of ten Ariane 5 launchers, out of a total of 50 heavy-lift launch vehicles to be acquired by the company under current production planning.

Official contracts for the P2 order will be signed with European manufacturers in the next few weeks. The initial Ariane 5 delivered from this production batch is scheduled for launch in late 2001, with subsequent deliveries following at an average of eight to ten launchers per year through early 2004.

This new order follows last May's meeting of European space ministers in Brussels, where Europe's governments reaffirmed their support for Ariane 5 and its future development.

The 20 launchers ordered will be Ariane 5 Plus versions, which incorporate performance improvements from the Perfo 2000 and Evolution upgrade programs. The improvements result from:

Upgrades to the launcher's core cryogenic stage, including a higher- thrust Vulcain 2 cryogenic engine, an increase in propellant capacity and a lighter-weight stage structure. The availability of two new upper stages, beginning with the ESC-A (a cryogenic stage built around the HM7B engine from Ariane 4), and followed by the EPS-V (a new storable propellant upper stage with the capability to be re- ignited in flight).

By the end of 2001, Arianespace will be able to offer satellite operators launch services tailored to their evolving requirements. The ESC-A stage is to provide dual launch capacity into geostationary transfer orbit (GTO) of 10 metric tons (about 22,046 lb.), while the EPS-V upper stage with its re- ignitable engine will offer flexible orbital injection solutions -- in particular for satellite payloads placed in low and medium Earth orbits.

To ensure strict control of costs and lead-times, the development of these two upper stages has been placed under the management responsibility of Arianespace's Ariane Development Division.

With new competing launchers slated to enter the market in 2002-03, Europe's space industry is responding to new rivals by improving Ariane 5 productivity.

As a result of the P2 order, the company remains on track to maintain its global leadership in commercial launch services, with highly competitive prices and operational flexibility and performance that set the industry standard.

In August there will two Ariane 4 launches. Flight 118/Telkom1 on August 4, 1999; Flight 120/Koreasat 3 on August 26, 1999.

In the past four months six Ariane launches have been conducted with Arianespace planning to increase its launch rate during the second half of the year to satisfy operators' needs and make up for delays in satellite deliveries during the first half of 1999.

In 1998, Arianespace orbited 14 satellites on 10 Ariane launchers. The upcoming flight schedule and choice of launcher versions will depend on the arrival time of the satellites at the launch site in French Guiana.

Meanwhile Ariane 504 is in the final assembly building at Kourou. It will be used for Flight 119, planned during the second half of the year. The exact launch date will be set as soon as Arianespace's customers announce the arrival dates in French Guiana for their satellites. Arianespace has undertaken all technical studies needed to ensure Ariane 5 launches this year. Based on their availability, the following satellites will be launched in 1999: AsiaStar, Astra 2B, Insat 3B, W4 and XMM.

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Satellite Launch To Boost DTH In India
Calcutta, India (SPX) Dec 28, 2005
The successful launch Thursday of India's heaviest satellite from spaceport of Kourou in French Guyana may have boosted the country's space research efforts to yet another level, but it has also lifted the spirits of at least three Direct-To-Home televisions broadcasters, one of which has been waiting for years to launch its services in India.