Ariane 42L | Astra 1C & Arsene

Astra 1B was the third of the Astra communications satellites launched and operated by SES (Société Européenne des Satellites). Arsene (Ariane Radio-Amateur Satellite Enseignement Espace) was designed and built by the French space agency CNES's radio amateur group (RACE) and carried a VHF/UHF and a UHF/S-band transponder.

The Ariane 4 was an expendable space launch system, developed by the Centre national d'études spatiales (CNES), the French space agency, for the European Space Agency (ESA). It was manufactured by ArianeGroup and marketed by Arianespace. Since its first flight on 15 June 1988 until the final flight on 15 February 2003, it attained 113 successful launches out of 116 total launches.

Arianespace SA is a multinational company founded in 1980 as the world's first commercial launch service provider. It undertakes the production, operation, and marketing of the Ariane programme. Their vehicles launch exclusively from French Guiana in South America.