When Stéphane Israël took over the reins of Arianespace in 2013, it was at a time when the company was facing unprecedented competition in the launch services market. The emergence of SpaceX, as well as others, meant the future of the company, while not necessarily under threat, was more questionable than in previous years. The answer has been a resounding “yes” with huge contracts signed with the likes of OneWeb and Skybox Imaging.
Arianespace performed 11 successful launches in 2016, including seven launches of Ariane 5, signing 13 new launch contracts. The company has an order book valued at 5.2 billion euros.
Explore the Show Daily 2017 Day 2 Issue
Check out more from this issue and find your next story to read.
VIA SATELLITE: When you took over from Jean-Yves Le Gall as the CEO of Arianespace, what did you see as the major challenges ahead?
Israël: I think at the time, there were three main challenges. The first one was to be in a position to have as many launches as possible from the Guyana Space Center. The second challenge was to adapt to a new competitive reality. The third challenge was to persuade all of our European stakeholders to make the right decision on the strategy of future launchers.
VIA SATELLITE: How important were contracts with the likes of OneWeb and Terra Bella?
Israël: In this business, it is a family. You have a limited number of players who are going to spend a lot of time together. You must never forget that. I will always remember when Greg Wyler called me at the beginning of 2014; I was staying in Moscow and it was 1 a.m. in the morning. He asked me: “Do you want to launch a lot?” I said “yes.” This was the beginning of OneWeb.
VIA SATELLITE: What is your view on reusable rockets?
Israël: It is clear that with Ariane 6 we did not opt for reusability. Our customers want a cheaper rocket on the market as quickly as possible. They said: “You should not wait for an additional step.”
VIA SATELLITE: What does it mean to you to be our Satellite Executive of the Year for 2016?
Israël: I joined Arianespace exactly four years ago. When I did so, I thought the big challenge would be to gain the support of our customers. I think becoming Satellite Executive of the Year is a recognition and an honor to the Arianespace team and is also intrinsically linked to the support you have gained from your customers. It feels like I am now part of the satellite family. VS
