By Steve Nichols
Arianespace has signed a contract with Roskosmos, the Russian space industry, to buy the first four Soyuz rockets that will be launched from the Guiana Space Centre (GSC) in Kourou.
Jean-Yves Le Gall, chairman and CEO of Arianespace, and Anatoly Perminov, managing director of Roskosmos, signed the contract at the show, and confirmed launches will start in 2009.
The contract is for the delivery of four Soyuz 2 launchers in the three-stage configuration, a fairing, Fregat upper stage and payload adapter, plus the associated propellant and fluids. The deal also covers launch preparations and operations, as well as maintenance of the Russian systems at Kourou. The first two launchers will be ready for shipment at the end of 2008.
The medium-launch Soyuz fits in well between the existing Vega light launcher and the heavy lift Ariane 5. The Soyuz is currently being launched at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. Construction at the future Soyuz launch complex is continuing and the flight operations control centre is almost complete. Russian engineering teams will arrive later this year to install the fixed launch infrastructure, now being manufactured in Russia.
The facilities will mirror those found in Baikonur, other than modifications that will have to be made to cope with the different climate. As the new launch centre is so close to the equator, it is expected to become the most cost-effective path to orbit for commercial satellites in the 3 tonne class.
Arianespace has signed a contract with Roskosmos, the Russian space industry, to buy the first four Soyuz rockets that will be launched from the Guiana Space Centre (GSC) in Kourou.
Jean-Yves Le Gall, chairman and CEO of Arianespace, and Anatoly Perminov, managing director of Roskosmos, signed the contract at the show, and confirmed launches will start in 2009.
The contract is for the delivery of four Soyuz 2 launchers in the three-stage configuration, a fairing, Fregat upper stage and payload adapter, plus the associated propellant and fluids. The deal also covers launch preparations and operations, as well as maintenance of the Russian systems at Kourou. The first two launchers will be ready for shipment at the end of 2008.
The medium-launch Soyuz fits in well between the existing Vega light launcher and the heavy lift Ariane 5. The Soyuz is currently being launched at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. Construction at the future Soyuz launch complex is continuing and the flight operations control centre is almost complete. Russian engineering teams will arrive later this year to install the fixed launch infrastructure, now being manufactured in Russia.
The facilities will mirror those found in Baikonur, other than modifications that will have to be made to cope with the different climate. As the new launch centre is so close to the equator, it is expected to become the most cost-effective path to orbit for commercial satellites in the 3 tonne class.
Source: Flight Daily News
