Arianespace Flight VS20 – Successful Soyuz Launch

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FLIGHT VS20: ARIANESPACE SUPPORTS FRANCE AND EUROPEAN DEFENSE WITH THE CSO-1 SATELLITE’S SUCCESSFUL LAUNCH FOR CNES AND DGA

For its 11th and final launch of the year – and the third in 2018 with the Soyuz medium- lift launcher – Arianespace successfully orbited the CSO-1 military Earth observation satellite for the French CNES (Centre National d’Etudes Spatiales) space agency and the DGA (Direction générale de l’armement) defense procurement agency on behalf of the French Ministry of Defense.

The launch took place on Wednesday, December 19 at 1:37 p.m. (local time) from the Guiana Space Center (CSG), Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana (South America).

With this latest launch in support of France’s defense requirements, as well as for the capability needs of several partner countries, Arianespace once again guarantees French and European independent access to space — which is a strategic priority and a key element for sovereignty.

CSO-1 is the first satellite of the Optical Space Component (CSO – Composante Spatiale Optique) program, comprising a constellation of three new-generation satellites for the French Ministry of Defense. They will carry out two different missions: reconnaissance for CSO-1 and CSO-3, and identification for CSO-2.

Airbus Defence and Space France is prime contractor for the satellites, while Thales Alenia Space France is supplying the optical imaging instrument.

To date, Arianespace’s backlog includes six more missions for CNES and the DGA: CSO-2 and CSO-3; Syracuse 4A and 4B; three CERES satellites, and the Taranis satellite.

Arianespace also has a very successful export track record in providing launch services for defense and security applications. Japan, Peru, Chile, Brazil, Morocco, Turkey, Thailand, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates have chosen the company to orbit satellites that safeguard sovereignty.

Drawing on the reliability and availability of its current launchers, along with the upcoming generation of Ariane 6 and Vega C launch vehicles, Arianespace guarantees independent access to space for all customers, especially European institutions.

20th Soyuz launch from the Guiana Space Center and the third in 2018 As the 20th Soyuz launch since it began operating at the Guiana Space Center (CSG), VS20 also is the second in a series of four flights by Soyuz through March 2019 to be launched from the CSG. The optimized launch campaigns use the Fregat Fueling Facility (FCube) – a building inaugurated in 2015 that is dedicated to the Fregat upper stage on the Soyuz launch vehicle.

Shortly after orbital injection of the CSO-1 satellite, Arianespace Chairman and CEO Stéphane Israël said: “Arianespace is proud to have orbited CSO-1, a key satellite for French and European defense. I would like to thank our French customers and partners, CNES, the DGA and the Ministry of Defense, who have renewed their trust in us today. This first of three Optical Space Component satellites marks the first step in the renewal of France’s defense satellite capabilities. Arianespace will further contribute to these capabilities with the launch early in the next decade of CSO-2 and CSO-3, the Syracuse satellites 4A and 4B and the three CERES satellites.

“Congratulations to Airbus Defence and Space as prime contractor for the construction of the CSO-1 satellite, with its optical imaging instrument supplied by Thales Alenia Space. Thank you to the Russian space agency Roscosmos for its commitment to our partnership, marked today with the 20th Soyuz launch from the CSG. Thank you to CNES and the CSG, our ground industrial teams and all personnel at the Spaceport, who work with us to achieve new successes. And well done to the Arianespace teams for this perfect final launch of the year and for maintaining such a sustained schedule, with five launches in two months to achieve our objective!”

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