Astrium and SpaceX sign an agreement to bring Falcon 1e launch capabilities to the European institutional market

* Astrium intends to market Falcon 1e in Europe for the launch of very small payloads.


Paris, - Astrium and Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX) today signed an agreement to provide dedicated launch services to the European institutional very small satellite market.



This agreement will enable Astrium and SpaceX to market Falcon 1e launch capabilities to space agencies and other institutional customers in Europe for launches to take place through to 2015.



With dedicated launch services, customers with very small payloads can launch independently to low-Earth orbit, giving them greater control over the launch and actual launch schedule. With the Falcon 1e, Astrium and SpaceX will be able to offer these services at the lowest cost per flight.



Alain Charmeau, CEO of Astrium Space Transportation declared: “This agreement will provide European customers with a launch service that complements existing options. In this way, any European customer will be capable of launching very small spacecraft on dedicated launches as primary payloads.”



About Astrium

Astrium, a wholly owned subsidiary of EADS, is dedicated to providing civil and defence space systems and services. In 2009, Astrium had a turnover of €4.8 billion and more than 15,000 employees in France, Germany, the United Kingdom, Spain and the Netherlands. Its three main areas of activity are Astrium Space Transportation for launchers and orbital infrastructure, Astrium Satellites for spacecraft and ground segment and Astrium Services for the development and provision of secure and commercial satcoms and networks, high security satellite communications equipment, geo-information products and services, and navigation services.



EADS is a global leader in aerospace, defence and related services. In 2009, EADS generated revenues of €42.8 billion and employed a workforce of more than 119, 000.