Contractors Urge ESA To Pursue Significant Upgrades to Ariane 5

摘要

The principal contractors of Europe's Ariane 5 heavy-lift launcher have begun a campaign to persuade European governments to finance the completion of a more powerful upper stage for the rocket and also pay for an upgrade that would add additional payload capacity to the new Vega small satellite launcher.rnThe campaign, which was not unexpected, is intended to win sufficient backing for the new developments in France, Italy and Germany, leading to full program approval when European Space Agency (ESA) government ministers meet in November.