  In this paper we present a covariant quantization of the ``massive'' spin-2
field on de Sitter (dS) space. By ``massive'' we mean a field which carries a
specific principal series representation of the dS group. The work is in the
direct continuation of previous ones concerning the scalar, the spinor and the
vector cases. The quantization procedure, independent of the choice of the
coordinate system, is based on the Wightman-Garding axiomatic and on
analyticity requirements for the two-point function in the complexified
pseudo-Riemanian manifold. Such a construction is necessary in view of
preparing and comparing with the dS conformal spin-2 massless case (dS linear
quantum gravity) which will be considered in a forthcoming paper and for which
specific quantization methods are needed.
