The European satellite launcher Arianespace on Tuesday said 2006 was a bumper year, leaving it with the biggest backlog of orders in an increasingly competitive industry. "In 2006, Arianespace successfully launched five Ariane 5 ECAs, placing 10 communications satellites and one technology experiment into geostationary transfer orbit," it said.
As part of a cooperation program with Russia, Arianespace and Starsem also launched the MetOp-A weather satellite using a Soyuz 2-1a, and Corot, a space telescope, on a Soyuz 2-1b.
Since January 1, Arianespace has carried out two Ariane 5 ECA missions, comprising four communications satellites, while Starsem has launched four satellites for the Globalstar constellation on a single Soyuz mission, it said.
Twelve new contracts signed in 2006 and another seven so far in 2007 have brought the company's backlog of orders to 40 satellites, "by far the largest in the industry," it said.
Arianespace, which announced the figures at the Paris Air Show, added that it posted sales of 983 million euros (1.307 billion dollars) in 2006, generating net income of 6.3 million euros (8.37 million dollars), the fourth year in a row that it has been in profit.
Separately, it added it had received an order to launch one of the next-generation Arabsat 5 telecommunications satellites for the Saudi-based operator Arabsat. Financial details were not disclosed.
Source: Agence France-Presse
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