Arianespace shareholders voted unanimously to convert the launch operator and subsidiary of Airbus Safran Launchers to an SAS (simplified joint-stock company) at the company's Annual General Meeting, held in Paris on Monday, March 27.

The modification aims to streamline and modernize Arianespace's governance to achieve greater responsiveness, facilitate relationships with industrial prime contractors, and be coherent with the new shareholder structure of Arianespace Participation.

The new legal form also comes with changes to the governance of Arianespace, allowing for more cohesive working coordination between the launch operator and its parent company, the Ariane launcher prime contractor. With these changes, Airbus Safran Launchers CEO, Alain Charmeau, also becomes Chairman of the Board of Directors of the holding company, Arianespace Participation. Stephane Israel, CEO of Arianespace SAS, and CEO of Arianespace Participation, joins the Executive committee of Airbus Safran Launchers as Director of Ariane 5 and Ariane 6 commercial launcher programs. This position had been held provisionally by Alain Charmeau.

"This evolution in governance is consistent with the steps taken since 2014 to streamline the European launcher industry. It places the entire industrial organization of Ariane 5, from production to marketing, under the sole responsibility of Stephane Israel, while preparing for the optimal development, production and commercialization of Ariane 6 for the benefit of Arianespace's customers" ,said Alain Charmeau.

Stephane Israel added: "With this new governance, Arianespace will be able to rely on its industrial prime contractor and biggest shareholder, Airbus Safran Launchers, to be even more responsive to customer needs and market developments. I would like to thank Alain Charmeau for his trust. The synergies I will strive to create between Arianespace and Airbus Safran Launchers will bring opportunities for all their teams. In this new configuration, Arianespace will further integrate operations with Avio/ELV for the success of Vega and confirms its commitment to Soyuz operations with its partner Roscosmos."

This change was submitted to ESA on 16 March after being approved by Arianespace staff representatives in February 2017.

Airbus Safran Launchers has held a 74% stake in Arianespace since 31 December 2016.

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Satellite launch shelved over strikes
Paris (AFP) March 23, 2017
After three days of delays caused by worker strikes in French Guiana, rocket firm Arianespace opted Thursday to postpone indefinitely the launch of satellites for South Korean and Brazilian clients. At first scheduled for Tuesday, then the two following days, launch operators finally gave up and announced Thursday that the Ariane 5 rocket will remain grounded until further notice. The la ... read more

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