Airbus Safran, CNES Reach Agreement on Arianespace Restructuring

[DocM]

Basically, a European ULA

http://www.parabolicarc.com/2015/06/18/airbus-safran-cnes-reach-agreement-arianespace-restructuring/

Airbus Safran, CNES Reach Agreement on Arianespace Restructuring

EVRY, France, June 16, 2015 (Arianespace PR)

[Draggendrop Veteran]

I am having a hard time visualizing the reason for this...the real reason. Could it be Airbus wanting a one stop shop, could it be that France is tired of subsidizing this venture in light of start ups like SpaceX, could this have been a controlled takeover....... 

or is it a real attempt to control cost.

 

I think your'e right Doc...another "ULA" to attempt European dominance with lobbying........we know where that will end.....

[DocM]

This started after the last USA ministerial conference went to Hell because Ariane 6 wasn't going to be competitive with Falcon 9.

They changed Ariane 6, then put a bigger push behind the Adeline reusable boost module on the hardware end, and now they're trying to tune the business structure - at least within their capability given European bureaucratic tendencies.

Basically, its a big scramble to remain relevant in light of SpaceX in the near term, and in the long term knowing they'll also compete with Blue Origin and probably at least two or three other EELV class launchers from the US.