Arianespace, the French company that manages the space launches of the Ariane rockets, the Italian Vega and the Russian Soyuz, closed 2021 with growth. Overall launches increased to 15, five more than in 2020, while turnover exceeded 1.25 billion euros, 30% more than the previous year, which had been affected by the effects of the pandemic. The results were announced from Paris. 17 launches are planned for this year.
Three rockets in the catalog
Arianespace is the agency that markets the launches of space carriers built in Europe and is the launch services provider appointed by ESA, the European space agency, in an increasingly competitive market. The catalog includes the heavy launcher Ariane 5 (which is about to be replaced by the new Ariane 6, whose first flight is expected in the second half of this year), built in France and Germany, the Soyuz medium launcher produced in Russia, the most small Vega, built in Italy by Avio Spa, which will soon switch to the more powerful Vega C version, the first flight is expected in the second quarter.
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Arianespace is controlled by ArianeGroup, the industrial joint venture that builds Ariane, in turn owned with equal shares of 50% each by the Franco-German group Airbus and the French company Safran. Avio holds a 3.38% stake in Arianespace.
The bases in Guyana and Russia
“With 15 successful Ariane, Soyuz and Vega launches in 2021, that is 5 more than 2020, and a turnover up 30% to over 1.25 billion, Arianespace consolidates its leading position in the commercial launcher market and prepares for a new year of great activity, ”said the group. “The launch of Webb, on December 25 from the space center in Guyana with Ariane 5, saw the launch of the most ambitious space telescope ever conceived.” The launches were made mainly from the Kourou base in French Guiana for Ariane 5 (3 launches in 2021), Vega (3 launches), while the 9 launches of Soyuz were made one in Guyana and the other 8 in the Russian space ports of Baïkonour and Vostotchny, for the OneWeb constellation. “Out of 15 launches, 11.5 were strictly commercial, which places Arianepsace at the top of this market,” says the French company.
This year 17 launches are planned
Arianespace’s order book is 36 launches for 24 different customers. 17 launches are planned for this year. The first flight is scheduled for February 10 with Soyuz from Kourou for OneWeb and it will be an intense year for Avio as well. The Colleferro company, led by Giulio Ranzo, in addition to creating the Vega also collaborates in the Ariane program as an industrial partner, with a share that for the Ariane 6 version rises to 10%, with the supply of side boosters.