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Paris, 25 February 2003
Press Release
Nx 11-2003

Signature of contracts for full development of Vega small launcher
    and P80 advanced solid propulsion stage and demonstrator
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Today ESA signed a contract with the ELV company for completion of the
development phase of the Vega European small launcher programme, and 
CNES signed, on behalf of ESA, a contract with FiatAvio for 
development of the P80 advanced solid propulsion stage and 
demonstrator.

The contracts were signed in Colleferro (Rome), on the FiatAvio 
industrial park, in the presence of representatives of the Italian 
Government, ESA, ASI, Arianespace, CNES and ELV.

Step 1 of the Vega small launcher programme was decided by the ESA 
Council in June 1998.  Funding for both the Vega and P80 programmes 
was approved by the participating states in December 2000.

Italy is the leading contributor to the Vega programme with 65 %, 
other participants being Belgium (5.63%), France (12.43%), the 
Netherlands (3.5%), Spain (5%), Sweden (0.8%) and Switzerland (1.34%). 
Belgium, France, Italy and the Netherlands are also contributing to 
the P80 programme.

ELV is the prime contractor for the Vega launcher. Its shareholders 
are FiatAvio (70%)  and  the Italian space agency, ASI (30%).  
FiatAvio is the prime contractor for the P80.

The Vega small launcher configuration consists of 3 solid stages: the 
P80 first stage, the Zefiro 23 second stage, the Zefiro 9 third stage 
and an upper liquid propulsion module, called AVUM.

Vega's target lift capability is 1500 kg and it will inject its 
payload into a circular orbit at 700 km altitude.  The launch base to 
be used for Vega is the European Spaceport at Kourou in French Guiana.

Arianespace will be the commercial operator for Vega.  The first
qualification launch is planned for mid-2006, with an expected 
frequency of 3 to 4 launches a year.

The P80 has twofold objectives: to serve as the first stage of the
launcher and to develop new technologies for the future A5 solid 
booster.

An integrated project team (IPT), comprising staff from ESA and the
Italian and French space agencies (ASI and CNES), will manage the Vega
launcher contract and ensure overall system coherence. It is to be 
located at the ESA establishment near Rome, ESRIN.

The P80 contract will be managed, under the authority of the IPT, by 
CNES through a dedicated project team, including ESA and ASI staff. 
The P80 team is to be located at the CNES establishment in Evry, near 
Paris.

The values of these development contracts are: EUR 221m for the Vega
launcher, and EUR 40m for the P80.


For further information, please contact :
Simonetta Cheli
ESA/ESRIN
Tel: +39.06.9418.0350
Fax: +39.06.9418.0352

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