Shortly after today's successful launch, Arianespace Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Jean-Marie Luton said, "Today, we are starting the commercial career of our new heavy launcher, the first in this generation of launch vehicles.

"With Ariane 5, we are giving all customers a launch system whose excellent performance will further strengthen the availability, flexibility and accuracy of our space transportation service. Ariane 5 is the key driver for our competitiveness."

The analysis of some 1,400 data points and measurements collected during this flight should lead to the official qualification of the launcher in December 1998. Allowing for a gradual service entry, the first commercial flight is scheduled for the end of the first quarter of 1999 and will boost two communications satellites into orbit.

The launch schedule will remain flexible, to adapt to satellite availability. However, Arianespace can already offer a capacity of 12 to 15 Ariane 4 and Ariane 5 launches per year during the period 1998-2001.

Arianespace also made a firm commitment to the European space industry by ordering 14 Ariane 5 launchers as early as June 1995. The first of these was launched today -- and it was a complete success. Arianespace plans to produce and deliver to Kourou four Ariane 5 launchers in 1999.

As for Ariane 4, the responsiveness of the European space industry will enable increasing Ariane 5 delivery rates (to 6 to 8 per year, starting in 2000), while driving higher productivity. At the same time, to achieve the commercial competitiveness that is critical to sustained market success, the industry has embarked on the same cost-reduction initiative as for Ariane 4. This focus on higher productivity -- essential if Arianespace is to maintain its leadership -- goes hand in hand with maintaining the high quality that is indispensable in the commercial operation of the Ariane system.

Arianespace, along with the European Space Agency, has already initiated a performance improvement program to keep pace with increasingly heavy satellites. The current objective is to provide geostationary transfer orbit (GTO) capacity of 11 metric tons (24,200 lb) by 2005-2006. This program also integrates the diverse launch needs of different types of missions: low and medium Earth orbit, direct orbital injection, planetary probes, constellations, etc.

As of October 21, Arianespace's order book stood at 39 satellites to be launched by Ariane 4 or Ariane 5, worth a total of $3.4 billion (FF 20.5 billion).

The next launch, Flight 113, is scheduled in just one week. On October 28, an Ariane 44L will boost two satellites into orbit: the GE-5 telecommunications and television satellite for GE American Communications; and AfriStar, a satellite that will provide a brand-new service, direct digital radio broadcasting for WorldSpace Corporation