ARIANESPACE LANDS TWO MAJOR CONTRACTS IN JAPAN.

The European satellite-launching marketing company Arianespace announced at the end of April that it had won two major contracts in Japan, one of its principal international customers. The first of these contracts will be for the launch of a telecommunications satellite of the JSAT group (JCSAT-8) which Ariane is to place in orbit at the end of 2001. "It is the fourth satellite launch which JSAT has awarded to Arianespace", Arianespace's CEO Jean-Marie Luton observed. The second order is for the launch of an experimental satellite for the Japanese Space Agency NASDA which is to be placed in orbit in the coming months, in the framework of a co-operative agreement between Europe and Japan. As Mr Luton noted in a press conference: "Arianespace was chosen for the launch of 17 of the 23 commercial satellites placed in orbit for Japan, where the group has been active for 14 years. Arianespace has launched at least one satellite a year for Japanese customers. In its 20 years of existence, Arianespace has launched a total of 210 commercial satellites and two-thirds of the communication satellites placed in orbit in the world, at a rhythm of one a month". Over the long term, Ariane's market share has varied between 50 and 60%, but reached 75% of the market in 1999. Noteworthy events for the year 2000 to...

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