Starsem And
Eurockot To Jointly Market Soyuz And Rockot Launch Services
Starsem, Paris,
France and Eurockot Launch Services, Bremen, Germany, have formed
a strategic partnership to coordinate their marketing and
development. The agreement follows the formation of the European
Aeronautics, Defense and Space  Company
(EADS), formed in part by Aerospatiale Matra (a 35% shareholder in
Starsem) and DaimlerChrysler Aerospace (a 51% shareholder in
Eurockot through Astrium GmbH). Due to the merger of their
shareholders,  it
is envisioned that a coordinated marketing approach will result in
greater flexibility and competitiveness for both companies. It is
also related to the recent decision of Arianespace's board to
support the creation of a European launch vehicle family
consisting of Ariane 5, Soyuz and Rockot.
 The
cooperative agreement aims to combine the complementary market
position of the medium sized Soyuz with that of the smaller sized  Rockot.
The companies will develop of a common marketing approach as well
as coordinate future technical developments. This commercial
cooperation will allow both firms to develop common proposals for
customers, providing back-up solutions in case of the
unavailability of one of the launchers. It will also provide a
more robust solution for constellation customers, allowing
multiple launches on different vehicles as part of a total
package, including coordinated insurance policies.
The companies will set up a joint
management board, headed by the CEO's of each company, Jean-Yves
Le Gall of Starsem, and Guenter Stamerjohanns of Eurockot, as well
as other representatives. Working teams will also be set up to
coordinate commercial, marketing, and technical efforts with a
high level of exchange between both organizations.
Starsem
has been responsible for marketing the Soyuz launch vehicle since
1996. Using new upper stages, Ikar and Fregat, the Soyuz has
become a competitive entry in the medium sized commercial launch
vehicle market. Eurockot has been responsible for the marketing of
the Rockot launch vehicle, since 1995, and recently introduced
Briz, a restartable upper stage. Both companies have secured a
series of launch contracts from commercial LEO constellation,
scientific and remote sensing satellite operators.
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