Arianespace, the European commercial-launcher organisation, has ordered a further 20 Ariane 4 boosters from Aerospatiale (Flight International, 22-28 October), bringing to 43 the number of Ariane 4s available to customers for launches to about 2003.
The new order will enable Arianespace to meet increasing demand. It will also permit a smooth, but extended, transition from dual Ariane 4/Ariane 5 activity towards sole Ariane 5 operations in about 2003, around three years later than planned originally.
Sixteen Ariane 5 models were previously ordered from Aerospatiale, two by ESA and 14 by Arianespace. One of these has been sold to ESA for the additional 503 demonstration flight in May 1998.
nESA has handed over the ELA-3 Ariane 5 launch area at the French space agency, CNES-managed Guiana Space Centre, Kourou, French Guiana, to Arianespace.o
Source: Flight International