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Arianespace wins two Indian launch contracts

The ISRO Indian space agency chooses Arianespace once again, this
time to launch its INSAT 4A and INSAT 4B communications satellites.

Kourou, April 9, 2003 - Following today's successful Ariane 5 mission
that placed INSAT 3A into orbit, Indian Space Research Organisation
Chairman Dr. Kasturirangan and Jean-Yves Le Gall, CEO of Arianespace,
announced the signing of launch contracts for two more payloads: the
INSAT 4A and 4B spacecraft.


ISRO's 12th and 13th contracts for Ariane

These are the 12th and 13th ISRO satellites to be booked on the
European launcher. Since the launch of the Apple experimental
satellite in 1981 on Flight L03, Arianespace has orbited ten Indian
satellites. Following today's successful mission with INSAT 3A,
Arianespace is slated to launch another ISRO payload - the INSAT 3E
satellite - later this year. 


INSAT 4A and 4B: Telecom Mission for India

Designed, built and integrated by ISRO, the INSAT 4A and INSAT 4B
satellites will each weigh about 3,200 kg. at liftoff. INSAT 4A and
INSAT 4B are dedicated to telecommunications, with 12 Ku band and 12
C-band transponders each. Their coverage zone is the Indian
sub-continent.


Long-standing trust

Commenting on these two new launch contracts, Arianespace CEO Le Gall
said: "I would like to extend my thanks to the very prestigious
Indian Space Research Organisation for its loyalty to Ariane during
the past 22 years. Winning these two contracts in today's slow market
is a mark of renewed confidence in our launch system."

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