26/09/2018 (Agence Europe) – Industry and Internal Market Commissioner Elżbieta Bieńkowska has welcomed the hundredth launch of Ariane 5, which took place at the Guyana Space Centre in French Guyana on Tuesday 25 September. She tweeted "Congratulations to Arianespace", the European commercial operator, which was also celebrating its three hundredth mission (counting all launchers). The Commissioner added "As largest institutional customer @EU_Commission played a key role in this success story. Next on the menu: #Ariane6 and #VegaC", noting the need to ensure the autonomy of the EU's access to space, referring to the European space programme unveiled recently by the European Commission (see EUROPE 12053). Orders are coming in nicely: Arianespace recently announced around sixty orders for its future launcher, Ariane 6 (see EUROPE 12093). (PH)