Arianespace
| Industry | space transport  |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | |
Number of employees | 220 (2021) |
Arianespace is a French company for space launch systems developed by ArianeGroup, namely the Ariane and Vega launcher families, created in 1980. The company defines itself in its own terms as a "launch operator". Since 2007, following an agreement between the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Russian space agency Roscosmos, Arianespace has also been responsible for launching the Soyuz launchers.[1] The Ariane launch base, located in Kourou in French Guiana (Guyana Space Center), offers Arianespace a significant advantage over its competitors due to its proximity to the equator in an area free of any risk of tropical cyclones.[2]