This Echo is READ ONLY !   NO Un-Authorized Messages Please!
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~   ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Press release
Evry, June 2, 2003

SOYUZ LAUNCHES EUROPE ON THE FAST TRACK TO MARS :
NEW MISSION SUCCESS FOR STARSEM

During the night of June 2, 2003, Starsem has successfully launched
the European Space Agency's Mars Express interplanetary probe to the
Red Planet. 

The 1678th flight of a Soyuz family launch vehicle was performed from
the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. The launch vehicle lifted off
on schedule at 11:45:26 p.m. Baikonur time, 7:45:26 p.m., Paris time.

Starsem and its Russian partners report that the Fregat upper stage
has accurately placed the probe and its lander -Beagle 2- on the
targeted orbit. As planned, two successive Fregat burns have been
performed to reach the right orbit: the first one occurred almost ten
minutes after the lift-off, and was followed by a second ignition one
hour and 7 minutes later, lasting for almost 14 minutes. One and a
half hour after lift-off Mars Express was separated and injected on
its way to Mars. 

The first European mission to Mars will reach its destination in
December 2003, after a six months cruise.

Soyuz sustained launch rate confirms its position as one of the
world's primary launch vehicles. This rate also demonstrates Samara
Space Center's continuous production capacity, as well as the
operational capability of launch teams at Baikonur under the
authority of the Russian Aviation and Space Agency.

Starsem is the Soyuz Company, bringing together all key players
involved in the production, operation and international commercial
marketing of the world's most versatile launch vehicle. Shareholders
in Starsem are EADS (35%), the Russian Aviation and Space Agency
(25%), the Samara Space Center (25%) and Arianespace (15%).

The Starsem manifest for Soyuz missions currently includes contracted
launches for Space Systems/Loral, the European Space Agency and
Eumetsat.

For further information,
please contact
Claire COULBEAUX
+ 33 (0) 1 69 87 01 10
communication{at}starsem.com

 - END OF FILE -
==========

@Message posted automagically by IMTHINGS POST 1.30
---