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Alcatel Alenia Space to provide onboard equipment for Soyuz-Fregat launchers

22 June 2006

Alcatel Alenia Space announced today that it will provide subsystems for the complete safeguard chain of Soyuz-Fregat rockets to be launched from the Guiana Space Center in Kourou.

This contract includes the development and manufacturing of the BCA ("Boîtier de Commutation et d'Alimentation", the switching & power feeder unit), as well as electronic ground equipment for tests and the reception of the safeguard subsystem that will be delivered to the Samara TsSKB Progress (Russia) Space Center, where the stages of the Soyuz are manufactured. In case of emergency, the BCA will ensure neutralization of the launcher by engine shutdown, leaving Soyuz in a ballistic trajectory.

Jean Horanieh, CEO of Alcatel Alenia Space in Belgium said: "Alcatel Alenia Space is delighted to have been awarded this contract by CNES and Arianespace for the launches of Soyuz-Fregat from Kourou. It reinforces our role as worldwide provider of onboard launcher electronics."

Alcatel Alenia Space is already the largest supplier of onboard electronics for Ariane 5 rockets. In each Ariane 5, Alcatel Alenia Space provides six different types of equipment, among them, the BCS ("Boîtier de Commande Sauvegarde", the safeguard control unit), which issues destruction orders to the rocket in the event of a problem or bad trajectory during launch.

The first launch of Soyuz-Fregat in Kourou is scheduled for 2008.

About Alcatel Alenia Space
Alcatel Alenia Space is the European leader in satellite systems, at the forefront of orbit infrastructures. Created in July 2005, the company brings together the vast experience and know-how of Alcatel Space and Alenia Spazio to form a new leading force in European space technology. Alcatel Alenia Space represents a worldwide standard for space development that impacts everybody's future: from navigation to telecommunications, from meteorology to environmental monitoring, from defense to science and observation. Alcatel Alenia Space is an affiliate of Alcatel (Paris: CGEP.PA and NYSE: ALA) (67%) and Finmeccanica (Milan:SIFI.MI, FNC.IM) (33%).