Arianespace's new "Power of Three" theme is making its industry debut at this week's Satellite 2012 event in Washington, D.C., where the company is underscoring the synergy, availability, reliability and commercial advantages of its full launcher family - while also adding new payloads to its order book.

Speaking at Satellite 2012's Launch Services panel, Chairman and CEO Jean-Yves Le Gall confirmed the launcher family's mission planning for this year - which will be the company's busiest ever, with flights of all three vehicles: Ariane 5, Soyuz and Vega.

"For 2012, we are planning seven Ariane 5 missions and three medium-lift Soyuz flights from the Spaceport in French Guiana, along with two Soyuz launches at Baikonur Cosmodrome," he told attendees at the panel session.

"And just one month ago, we saw the successful introduction of the Vega light launch vehicle, which was a milestone in the history of spaceflight, and truly remarkable for a maiden launch because of its excellent accuracy in a highly complex flight that orbited nine payloads."

During the Satellite 2012 Launcher Panel, attendees participated in a real-time poll on questions that included the importance of factors in selecting launch vehicles.

Using smartphones to respond, the audience overwhelmingly placed reliability first (with nearly 70 percent of the responses), followed by price (approximately 20 percent), along with schedule, proven technology and performance (with less than 10 percent each).

"This feedback clearly reflects the strategy of Arianespace, as we insist on reliability as the foundation for our launch vehicle family," Le Gall said.

"With 46 consecutive successful launches, Ariane 5 is the world's most reliable launch vehicle in its class, while Soyuz' launch record also sets an industry standard, and Vega already has shown its capabilities from the inaugural flight."

In new business concluded at Satellite 2012, Le Gall signed the Jabiru-1 satellite launch contract with Adrian Ballintine, the founder and Chief Executive Officer of Australia's NewSat Limited - which joins the ranks of Arianespace's international customers.

To be launched by Ariane 5 during the fourth quarter of 2014, Jabiru-1 will provide relay capacity for enterprise and government customers across Asia, the Middle East and eastern Africa.

"I have enormous respect for Jean-Yves Le Gall - for his own integrity and the integrity that he brings to Arianespace and the world of satellites and space," Ballintine said at the Jabiru-1 contract signature ceremony.

"We've learned a great deal in working closely with Arianespace as NewSat takes its first step forward in what we hope will be a very innovative and long-term satellite program. NewSat has a number of orbital slots, and we will aggressively pursue our space and satellite strategy."

Le Gall congratulated NewSat on its accomplishments as Australia's largest specialist satellite communications company, and pledged Arianespace's continued support.

"I have been very impressed because you set your vision and you have accomplished it, which is not always the case in this industry," he said to Ballintine in comments after the signature. "You are developing a real business, and at NewSat, the dream is alive. We consider Arianespace as a partner of NewSat for the long term."

Also during Satellite 2012, Arianespace announced its selection by Eutelsat Communications and Qater's Es'hailSat to launch the EUTELSAT 25B/Es'hail 1 satellite on Ariane 5 in the second quarter of 2013.

These new agreements further expand Arianespace's order book, which now represents a combined value of more than $6 billion and more than three years of business.