Arianespace, Boeing and Mitsubishi Alliance
TOKYO (AFP) — Japan’s Mitsubishi Heavy Industries is in talks with Europe’s Arianespace and Boeing of the United States over an alliance in the satellite launch business, a Mitsubishi spokesman said.
“It is true that we are negotiating,” Mitsubishi Heavy spokesman Hiroyuki Yamakado said.
The three rival firms are negotiating details of a scheme that would allow them to make rockets available to each other for their customers’ convenience, the official said without elaborating further.
Until now, the launch contractor has provided a replacement when it fails in a rocket launch, causing a delay and trouble for customers.
The Asahi daily said the rockets to be covered by the scheme would be the H2-A built by Mitsubishi, Ariane-5 by the European consortium and Boeing’s Sea-Launch.
The client company of any one of the three would be able to switch to a back-up rocket to be launced by either of the other two, the paper said in its evening edition.
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