Bilan et perspectives pour ILS et Khrunitchev

Dans une adresse de début d'année le Président d'ILS fait le bilan et présente les perspectives. Intéressant à lire, en attendant le 50ème lancement Proton par ILS...

A New Year: Past and Present - Letter from Frank McKenna, President ILS

12.01.2009

The year 2008 was a time of extraordinary challenge with the failure of AMC-14, and a time of significant achievement for ILS and Khrunichev.

Here is a recap of the year’s events:

After the AMC-14 failure in March, ILS and Khrunichev immediately undertook a top-to-bottom assessment to improve the quality of the product and to increase transparency to customers and the insurance community. This led to the implementation of a three phase program with 46 separate quality initiatives with the first two phases completed by the end of 2008. We held a comprehensive briefing to space insurance underwriters in a long-term effort to improve communications and receive direct feedback. These efforts have been appreciated and valued by our customers and insurance community. But as you know, success is demonstrated one launch at a time, consistently over time.

This commitment to performance is exactly what we set out to accomplish with the successful return to flight of Inmarsat 4F3 in August. That was followed by five more successful launches for ILS and the Russian government by the end of the year. With 10 missions (6 commercial and 4 Federal) in a single year, the total number of Proton launches in 2008 surpasses that of any of our competitors for a single launch system.

Our consistent production performance across the board also sets us apart in terms of launch readiness. The amount of hardware that is currently in the factory is at the highest level in our commercial history. We secured five new orders in 2008, and ILS is poised to take on additional orders, supporting missions that other launch providers cannot.

In 2008, Khrunichev purchased the majority interest in ILS, a move which has become a real asset in our effort toward greater visibility, additional streamlining and increased productivity. The first phase of the consolidation of the Russian space industrial enterprises is already complete and Khrunichev now has direct management control of 80% of all Proton manufacturing. This further strengthens our access to quality hardware and provides added schedule assurance in an increasingly demanding world market.

2009

Looking ahead, ILS and Khrunichev have a robust manifest of commercial launches and Federal missions, resulting in about a launch a month during 2009. In fact, the first ILS mission of 2009 will also be a major milestone – the 50th ILS Proton launch!

The ILS team is a high-performing group of professionals that are focused on providing unmatched value for our customers. And it is our customers’ support of this organization that has resulted in 21 missions currently in our firm backlog.

As we work closer with Khrunichev and our customers, our commitment to quality and performance will continue to show measurable results.

Thank you for your continued support and confidence during 2008. We renew our commitment to you in 2009 and for many years to come in serving the commercial space market.

We offer you the very best wishes for a prosperous New Year!

Frank McKenna
President, International Launch Services