Airbus Safran Launchers Awards €8 Million Ariane 6 Control Benches Contract to Industrial Team Led by GTD
Airbus Safran Launchers (ASL) has awarded an €8 million contract to a consortium led by GTD, in partnership with Clemessy (Eiffage Group), for the development of the European Control Benches of the future Ariane 6 launcher program.
The contract covers the delivery of control benches to be deployed at major European facilities in Les Mureaux (France), Bremen (Germany) and Lampoldshausen (Germany).
Supporting Europe’s Next-Generation Launcher
The Ariane 6 program, approved during the ESA Ministerial Council in December 2014, aims to reduce launch costs by 50% compared to Ariane 5. Its objective is to ensure Europe’s guaranteed access to space while maintaining competitiveness in the global commercial launch market and supporting institutional missions.
This new contract follows the agreement signed one month earlier with CNES for the Ariane 6 Operational Control Rooms at the Guiana Space Center (CSG). With this latest award from ASL, the GTD-led consortium consolidates its role in the Ariane 6 ground segment.
Work under the contract, signed in Paris by ASL Vice President Catherine Poincheval and GTD representatives, is scheduled for completion in October 2018. The first Ariane 6 launch is planned for late 2020.
The Operational Control Center: A Real-Time Critical System
The Operational Control Center is the largest and most critical component of the Ariane 6 ground segment.
Its functions include:
- Managing all interfaces between the launcher and ground facilities
- Supervising manufacturing phases and launch preparation
- Ensuring real-time communication between onboard systems and ground infrastructure
- Controlling the launch countdown sequence
As a real-time critical system, the control center plays a central role in ensuring launch safety, reliability and operational coordination.
Ariane 6 Performance and Industrial Organization
Ariane 6 is designed to offer competitive launch services without requiring public sector exploitation support.
Targeted performance includes:
- Over 4.5 tonnes to polar/Sun-synchronous orbit at 800 km
- 5 to 10.5 tonnes to geostationary transfer orbit (GTO)
Industrial Organization
ESA has defined the program’s industrial framework as follows:
- Airbus Safran Launchers (ASL): Prime contractor and design authority for the launcher and production facilities
- CNES-DLA: Responsible authority for site facilities and launch pad construction at Europe’s Spaceport in Kourou
Strengthening GTD’s Position in European Launch Infrastructure
With this contract, GTD reinforces its role as a key industrial partner in Europe’s space transportation ecosystem. The development of Ariane 6 control benches further expands GTD’s expertise in:
- Mission-critical ground systems
- Launcher interface management
- Real-time operational control systems
- Complex aerospace infrastructure integration
Through its collaboration with Clemessy and Airbus Safran Launchers, GTD contributes directly to Europe’s next-generation launch capabilities and long-term strategic autonomy in space.
