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Technology Stocks : Loral Space & Communications

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To: Jeff Vayda who wrote (10372)	2/15/2003 11:40:37 AM
From: waitwatchwander	Read Replies (2) of 10852

Ariane-4 blasts into history news.bbc.co.uk The Ariane 4 is being retired The final mission for Europe's Ariane-4 series of rockets has been successfully carried out, with the placing in orbit of a communications satellite on Saturday. The Ariane-4 has been in service for nearly 15 years and has well over 100 safe launches to its credit. It is being replaced by the much larger Ariane-5 rocket, which is capable of carrying bigger payloads into space. Ariane-5 has been in commercial use since 1999, but has a troubled record for operator Arianespace. It blew up on its maiden flight in 1996, and last December a heavier version of it had to be destroyed shortly after take-off because it developed problems. Shadow of Columbia Saturday's launch - the 116th - had been delayed three times because of strong winds at high altitudes over the launch-pad in Kourou, French Guiana. Ariane 4 Entered service in 1988 Final mission 15 Feb Last cargo: Intelsat 907 telecomms satellite Flight 159 was to be a triumphant event but the loss of the space shuttle Columbia and problems with the new launch vehicle have cast a shadow over space exploration. Out of 14 launches of the successor Ariane-5 so far, two rockets have exploded and two have put satellites into the wrong orbits. Future plans After Saturday's launch, Arianespace president Jean-Yves Le Gall told journalists that the Ariane-5 loss in December would cost the European space programme 300 million euros. Arianespace is planning to relaunch a basic version of the Ariane-5 after the end of March, carrying two telecommunications satellites. Also in prospect is the launch early in 2005 of a 4.7 ton satellite to provide high-speed internet access throughout the Americas. Ariane-4 is being eased out of service because of market pressure to put bigger commercial satellites into orbit more cheaply. It took Esa 10 years and $7bn to produce the Ariane 5, a rocket intended to give Europe dominance in the commercial space business.

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