Arianespace has a high-profile presence at this week's World Space Risk Forum in Dubai, where the company's activities include a half-day briefing for the space insurance sector's major players.

As the leading commercial launch services provider, Arianespace also is the largest single generator of insurance premiums due to its high level of mission activity - representing more than 50 percent of the industry total, according to Jean Max Puech, the company's Senior Vice President - Finance.

"Our strategy always has been to provide the maximum amount of information with the space insurance sector on our operations, covering everything from launch vehicle industrialization and production to the details of actual mission performance," he explained.

"We will continue this policy of openness at the World Space Risk Forum, where our team is to address not only Ariane 5, but our newest launcher family members: Soyuz and Vega."

Joining Puech at the biennial forum in Dubai are Chairman and CEO Jean-Yves Le Gall and Louis Laurent, the Senior Vice President of Programs - underscoring the importance Arianespace places on maintaining its high-level dialog with the space insurance sector.

"For Arianespace, we view our relationship with the space insurers as a true partnership that benefits all players in the market, including the customers that book payloads on our launchers," Puech added.

"We are backing this commitment with the presence of our top executive team in Dubai at the World Space Risk Forum."

He noted that in addition to the coverage provided by the insurance sector itself, Arianespace continues to offer the option of complementary insurance coverage, called the Arianespace Launch Risk Guarantee, which provides indemnification in the event of a launch failure. This creates additional capacity that is available, if and when needed.