Arianespace has confirmed its order with EADS for 30 Ariane 5 launchers, worth €3 billion ($3.5 billion). Up to four boosters will be Ariane 5Gs and the others will be new ECA versions of the launcher. Deliveries will begin in 2005. Four 5Gs have been ordered to fill the gap created by the delay to the ECA, which will not fly until 2005 due to the failure of the first booster last year.
Meanwhile, Starsem has been selected by the European Space Agency (ESA) to launch the Venus Express orbiter aboard a Soyuz- Fregat booster from Baikonur in November 2005. Starsem launched ESA's Mars Express, carrying the UK's Beagle 2, last month.
Starsem is a consortium of Arianespace, EADS and Russia's Rosaviakosmos and Samara Space Centre. Russia will start the construction of a Soyuz launch pad at Kourou, French Guiana, later this year, in preparation for the first commercial launch under the auspices of Arianespace in 2006.
Source: Flight International
