Launchers Exploitation Arrangement – Ariane

From left: ArianeGroup Chief Executive Officer Martin Sion, European Space Agency Director General Josef Aschbacher and Arianespace Chief Executive Officer David Cavaillolès holding a Launchers Exploitation Arrangement. 

Two Launchers Exploitation Arrangements were signed at ESA's Headquarters in Paris on 14 November 2025, marking an important step in the continued operation of the Ariane 6 and Vega-C rockets. 

Present were European Space Agency Director General Josef Aschbacher, Giulio Ranzo, Chief Executive Officer of Avio, David Cavaillolès, Chief Executive Officer of Arianespace and Martin Sion, Chief Executive Officer of ArianeGroup. Following decisions taken by the ESA Council in 2023, the revision of the Launchers Exploitation Declaration (LED) was finalized on 10 July 2025 and the Guiana Space Centre Agreement was signed on 23 October 2025.  The LEAs signed today translate the LED mandate to ESA into concrete detailed implementation arrangements between ESA and the launch operators.

The two arrangements signed today – one with Arianespace and ArianeGroup for Ariane 6, and one with Avio for Vega-C – define the roles and responsibilities of each operator and ESA's role in monitoring its implementation. They also establish the framework for cooperation between the parties to ensure Europe’s continued autonomous access to space through the exploitation of ESA-developed launchers from Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana.