Arianespace and CNES, the French Space Agency, awarded a contract to Alcatel Alenia Space to supply the switching and power feeder unit for the safety systems for Soyuz-Fregat rockets, Alcatel announced June 22. The feeder unit will be able to shut down the engines in case of emergency.

The contract requires Alcatel Alenia Space to develop and build the subsystem as well as electronic ground equipment to be used for testing the subsystem, which will be delivered to Samara TsSKB Progress Space Center in Russia, where the rocket stages are manufactured.

The first launch of the Soyuz-Fregat from Guiana Space Center in Kourou, French Guiana, is scheduled for 2008.