Orbital Recovery Corporation Chooses Ariane as Primary Rocket for the SLES Telecommunications Satellite "Rescue" Space Tug
Jacques van Oene
Telecommunications Satellite "Rescue" Space Tug
Washington, D.C.; Paris, France - February 27, 2003 - Orbital Recovery
Corporation has selected Ariane as the primary launch vehicle for its
Geosynchronous Spacecraft Life Extension System (SLESTM), signing an
agreement with Arianespace to orbit at least four SLES space tugs beginning
in 2005.
SLES will be carried as a secondary payload on Ariane launches, with a
liftoff mass of 500-800 kg, depending on the space tug's specific mission.
The unique SLES is designed to extend the useful lifetime of multi-million
dollar telecommunications satellites by 10 years or more, and also is
capable of rescuing satellites stranded in incorrect orbits.
"The SLES is joining some of the world's leading satellite payloads on the
Ariane manifest," Orbital Recovery Corp. Chief Executive Officer Walt
Anderson said. "Ariane's flexibility was one of the deciding factors in our
selection."
The agreement calls for an initial SLES launch on Ariane in the first
quarter of 2005 followed by two more SLES flights in 2005, and provides for
additional launches in 2005 and beyond.
"Arianespace has a tradition of working with promising new companies, and we
are pleased to provide launch services for the innovative SLES," said
Arianespace Chief Executive Officer Jean-Yves Le Gall. "Our experience in
launching multi-satellite payloads - combined with Ariane's lift
capability - allows the SLES to be launched when needed to serve Orbital
Recovery Corporation's mission requirements."
About Arianespace
Arianespace is the commercial launch services leader, holding more than 50
percent of the international market for satellites launched to geostationary
transfer orbit (GTO). Created in 1980 as the world's first commercial space
transportation company, Arianespace has signed contracts for the launch of
more than 250 satellite payloads. For further information, see the
Arianespace Web site at www.arianespace.com.
About Orbital Recovery Corporation
Orbital Recovery Corp. has offices in Washington, D.C. Los Angeles, and
Sydney, Australia. Definition work on the SLES has been completed and the
building of the industrial team is underway. Robotic technology from the DLR
German Aerospace Center has been selected for the SLES docking and linkup,
and Aon Space is providing insurance brokering and risk management services.
More information on Orbital Recovery Corp. is available on the company's Web
site: www.orbitalrecovery.com.
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Jacques :-)
Editor: www.spacepatches.info