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NEWS
E U R O P E
Satellites
Edited by
Branislav Pekic
THALES ALENIA SPACE TO BUILD
EUTELSAT W6A SATELLITE
Eutelsat Communications has selected Thales
Alenia Space to build a 40-transponder Ku-band
satellite enabling a 50% increase in capacity operated
at its 21.5° East orbital position. Scheduled for
launch in third quarter 2012, the satellite will replace
Eutelsat W6. The new satellite will be based on
the Thales Alenia Space Spacebus C3 platform,
with a scheduled in-orbit lifetime exceeding 15
years. It will be equipped with one broad footprint
covering Europe, North Africa and Central Asia,
and two dedicated high-power beams for regional
coverage of North Africa and the Middle East.
HISPASAT AWARDS SATELLITE CONTRACT
TO SPACE SYSTEMS/LORAL
Space Systems/Loral (SS/L) has been awarded
a contract to manufacture a new spacecraft for
Hispasat. The Amazonas 3 satellite is designed
to replace Amazonas 1 at 61 degrees West and
is scheduled to be available for launch in 2012.
The new satellite will be capable of operating
up to 33 simultaneous Ku-band transponders
and 19 simultaneous C-band transponders over
Europe and North and South America. It will have
a launch mass of approximately five tons and will
produce nearly 14-kW of power at end of life.
130 TELE-satellite & Broadband — 04-05/2009 — www.TELE-satellite.com
N O R T H A M E R I C A
SEA LAUNCH TO LAUNCH 3
SATELLITES FOR ECHOSTAR
Sea Launch Company has signed an agreement
with a subsidiary of EchoStar Satellite Services,
providing EchoStar with the ability to launch up
to three satellites on the Sea Launch system.
Sea Launch expects to launch the satellites using
the reliable Zenit-3SL launch vehicle from its
launch site at 154 degrees West. Sea Launch
has successfully launched previous EchoStar
satellites, including EchoStar IX in 2003.
S O U T H A M E R I C A
ARGENTINA TO LAUNCH ARSAT-1 IN 2012
Argentina’s satellite operator Arsat (Empresa
Argentina de Soluciones Satelitales, Sociedad
Anonima) has chosen Arianespace for the launch
of its satellite Arsat-1, scheduled for mid-2012
through an Ariane 5 or Soyuz from Kourou (French
Guiana). Made by the Argentine company INVAP
and with a take-off weight of 2,900 kg, it will be
fitted with 24 Ku-band transponders, providing
a wide range of telecommunications services,
data transmission and TV for the Argentine,
Chilean, Uruguayan and Paraguayan markets.
A S I A & P A C I F I C
ARABSAT 5A SUCCESFULLY LAUNCHED
The Arabsat 5A satellite was succesfully launched
on June 27 rom French Guyana by the Ariane
5 rocket. Arabsat 5A, manufactured by French
companies Astrium and Thales, will be located on
the 30.5 degrees East orbital position. The satellite
will cover the whole African continent for the first
time in addition to Arabsat’s usual coverage of the
Middle East and large parts of Asia and Europe.
EUTELSAT AND ICTQATAR SELECT
SS/LORAL FOR NEW SATELLITE
Eutelsat Communications and ictQATAR (representing
the State of Qatar) have selected Space
Systems/Loral to build the satellite they will jointly
own and operate at the 25.5° East location. Due
to enter into service in early 2013, this satellite will
provide coverage across the Middle East, North
Africa and Central Asia to follow on from Eutelsat’s
Eurobird 2 satellite, which is currently operated at
25.5° East. In addition to securing Ku-band continuity
for Eutelsat and additional Ku-band resources
for ictQATAR, it will initiate a Ka-band capability.
LOCAL BILLIONAIRE TO BUY MEASAT
Malaysian billionaire Ananda Krishnan announced
plans to buy out satellite operator Measat
Global Bhd. for US$ 207 million to secure full
control of the company. The Star newspaper
said Krishnan’s decision to take Measat Global
Bhd. private was made after “considering the
huge capital that needs to be ploughed into
Measat... estimated at some US$ 1 billion over
the course of the next two or three years”.
A F R I C A
WORLDSPACE COULD RELAUNCH
WorldSpace plans to relaunch its services in South
Africa if a bid by former chairman Noah Samara to
buy the company is approved, according to local
daily “Business Day”. WorldSpace, whose satellite
radio service was available in Europe, Africa
and Asia, filed for bankruptcy protection in 2008
after repeated failures to meet debt obligations.