Posted: Sun, Jun 15, 2003, 2:07 PM ET (1807 GMT)
Three companies that market commercial launch vehicles are considering creating an informal alliance that would provide mutual backup services, Space News reported late Friday. The alliance, currently being negotiated by Arianespace, Boeing Launch Services, and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, would allow launch customers with any of the three companies to switch to one of the other two if their original launch plans were delayed. The agreement would initially cover launches by the Ariane 5, Zenit 3SL, and H-2A; the Delta 4 could be added at a later date, as well as the Soyuz once it begins launching from Kourou, French Guiana. International Launch Services (ILS), which offers commercial Atlas and Proton launches, offers similar mutual backup services between the two vehicles. However, the alliance currently being proposed would not be as far-reaching as ILS, with no plans for a joint venture or joint marketing services. The first opportunity for this agreement to come into play could be late this year, with the scheduled Ariane 5 launch of the DirecTV 7S spacecraft; Space News reported that Arianespace may have trouble fitting this payload into its current launch schedule if the satellite is delivered on schedule.

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