Arianespace

Arianespace

Company type	Subsidary
Industry	Space
Founded	March 26, 1980; 44 years ago (March 26, 1980)
Headquarters	Évry-Courcouronnes , France
Products	Ariane 6, Vega
Revenue	€1.433 billion (2015)
Net income	€4 million (2015)
Number of employees	220 (2023)[1]
Parent	ArianeGroup
Website	arianespace.com

Arianespace SA is a French company founded in 1980 as the world's first commercial launch service provider. It is the operator of two different launch vehicles: Vega, a small-lift rocket and Ariane 6, a medium or heavy-lift rocket, depending on configuration.

European space launches are conducted by several private companies and government agencies working together. The role of Arianespace is to market the launch services, prepare the missions and handle all relations with customers. At the Guiana Space Centre (CSG) the company oversees the team that integrates and prepares vehicles for launch.

The rockets themselves are designed and produced by other companies, its parent company, ArianeGroup for the Ariane 6 or Avio for the Vega. Launch infrastructure at the CSG is owned by the European Space Agency and the land itself is owned and operated by CNES, the French national space agency.

As of May 2021^[update], Arianespace had launched more than 850 satellites in 287 launches over 41 years. The first commercial flight managed by the new entity was Spacenet F1 launched on 23 May 1984. Arianespace uses the Guiana Space Centre in French Guiana as its main launch site. It has its headquarters in the Paris suburb of Évry-Courcouronnes.