On 25 March, ESA and CNES, the French Space Agency, signed a 435 million Euro contract assuring the availability of the CSG launch range for ESA programmes and activities and for the exploitation of Ariane, Vega and Soyuz launchers over the period 2009 to 2013.
Antonio Fabrizi, ESA Director of Launchers (left), and Joël Barre, Director of CNES/CSG (right), are shown signing the contract in the presence of ESA Member States’ Delegations to the Launchers Programme Board.