Avio

Environmental & Social Information • Apr 29, 2020

Informazione Regolamentata n. 1771-68-2020		Data/Ora Ricezione 29 Aprile 2020 21:46:41	MTA - Star
Societa'	:	Avio Spa
Identificativo Informazione Regolamentata	:	131606
Nome utilizzatore	:	AVION04 - Spaziani
Tipologia	:	REGEM
Data/Ora Ricezione	:	29 Aprile 2020 21:46:41
Data/Ora Inizio Diffusione presunta	:	29 Aprile 2020 21:46:42
Oggetto	:	RE-OPENING OF THE GUIANA SPACE BASE AND VV16 LAUNCH DATE
Testo del comunicato

Vedi allegato.

GUIANA SPACE LAUNCH BASE TO RE-OPEN BY MAY 11 VEGA FLIGHT SCHEDULED BY MID JUNE

Colleferro (Rome) 29 April 2020 – Avio informs that CNES (the French Space Agency) and Arianespace have communicated today the gradual re-opening of the Guiana Space Center, starting from the 11 of May. The space center in Kourou had been closed at the peak of the COVID-19 outbreak on the 16 of March 2020. At that point the operations for the 16th launch of Vega, scheduled by the end of the same month, had been frozen while the launcher and the satellites on board had been secured.

Operations will now resume following the highest health&safety standards, including but not limiting to quarantine for all of the mission personnel before being involved in any activity in the base.

The personnel necessary for the return to flight of Vega (VV16 mission with around 50 satellites on board) will therefore be operative starting on the 25 of May, therefore allowing the completion of the mission by the middle of June.

Giulio Ranzo, CEO of Avio, commented: "While in Italy all of our production, research and development activities continue during the COVID-19 outbreak, the re-opening of the space center in Guiana allows us also to quickly go back on the launch pad for the Vega mission number 16 with the innovative SSMS dispenser, which will take into orbit around 50 satellites in a single mission. The flight campaign in Kourou – continued Ranzo – will be performed following the highest security standards for our colelagues, like all of the activities in our facilities during this emergency."

For more information

Investor relations contacts: Fabrizio.spazioni@avio.com Matteo.picconeri@avio.com

Media relations contacts: Giuseppe.coccon@avio.com Francesco.delorenzo@avio.com

Avio

Avio is a leading international group operating in the manufacturing and development of space launchers and propulsion systems. The experience and knowhow built up over more than 50 years puts Avio at the cutting edge of the space launcher sector, solid, liquid and cryogenic propulsion and tactical propulsion. Avio operates 5 industrial facilities in Italy, France and France Guyana, employing approx. 1,000 highlyqualified personnel, of which approx. 30% involved in research and development. Avio is a prime contractor for the Vega programme and a sub-contractor for the Ariane programme, both funded by the European Space Agency ("ESA"), placing Italy among the limited number of countries capable of producing a complete spacecraft.