Ariane 5 launcher racks up 71st success in a row for Airbus Defence and Space

Summary

• - Second launch in 2016 from Kourou puts Eutelsat telecommunications satellite into orbit - Latest successful flight was performed on time, once again demonstrating the European launcher’s reliability

Ariane 5 has been successfully launched from Kourou, French Guiana, for the 71st time in a row, confirming the reliability and sophistication of the European launcher, which put the satellite, weighing more than 6.5 tonnes, into geostationary transfer orbit.

“This second successful launch of the year for a single satellite underlines the extraordinary reliability of the Ariane 5 European launcher, as well as its capability to fully meet our customers’ needs. As one of the industry leader of the programme,  we are proud to be part of the team which makes Ariane 5 one of the most highly efficient and sophisticated launchers in the world” said François Auque, Head of Space Systems.

Airbus Defence and Space, a 50% shareholder in Airbus Safran Launchers, is the main industrial partner of the Ariane 5 programme. Drawing on the expertise the company has acquired and the investments it has made for more than 10 years, Ariane 5 has become the most reliable commercial launcher on the global market and has increased its geostationary orbit payload capacity by almost two tonnes. Representing cutting-edge European expertise, the Ariane 5 launcher has been specially designed to inject heavy payloads into orbit.