THE TRANSITION FROM using the Ariane 4 to the new Ariane 5 launcher, due for its maiden flight on 29 November, will take three years, says Arianespace president Charles Bigot.
Launches will be split about 50/50 between the two vehicles during the period, and will be allocated by Arianespace according to launcher availability, beginning with the first commercial launch of Ariane 5 on 1 October 1996. Customers will be charged the same for using either vehicle, and will be offered a free launch in the event of an Ariane 5 failure.
Bigot says that the successful debut of the new launcher will lead to orders for an initial 14 Ariane 5 launchers, with a follow-on order for 50. He is calling for an early meeting of the European Space Agency Council of Ministers to clarify the role of the Ariane 5 in supplying the Alpha international space station, which could account for two launches a year.
Despite two launch failures in 1994, Arianespace is still aiming to maintain the ten-a-year launch rate achieved in the second half of the year. The company signed a further 12 customers in 1994, and now has a backlog of 38 launches. Results for the year are expected to be similar to 1993, with a slightly higher turnover of Fr4.40 billion ($825 million).
Source: Flight International
