Arianespace to Launch Skybox Imaging Satellites, Two Launches for United Arab Emirates

Arianespace’s Vega rocket. Photo: Arianespace

[Via Satellite 3-18-2015] Arianespace has signed two new launch contracts; one with Skybox Imaging and one with Airbus Defence and Space for the United Arab Emirates Armed Forces.

Under the contract with Skybox, Arianespace will launch a block of high resolution imaging satellites aboard the Vega launch vehicle from the Guiana Space Center in 2016. “This new contract with Skybox marks our first U.S. customer of the Vega and adds to Vega’s order book of nine small satellites to be launched in the coming three years.” said Arianespace CEO Stéphane Israël.

The second contract is through Airbus Defence and Space to launch two Falcon Eye satellites into Low Earth Orbit (LEO), using two Vega (or Soyuz) launchers from the Guiana Space Center. The launches are scheduled for 2018 and 2019. Airbus Defence and Space and Thales Alenia Space are building these two high-performance Earth observation satellites for the United Arab Emirates Armed Forces.