Space Systems/Loral has won the contract to build a mixed Ku- and Ka-band satellite for the joint venture between satellite operator Eutelsat and ictQatar, the telecom and technology agency of the government of Qatar.
The satellite, which is based on the…
Space Systems/Loral has won the contract to build a mixed Ku- and Ka-band satellite for the joint venture between satellite operator Eutelsat and ictQatar, the telecom and technology agency of the government of Qatar.
The satellite, which is based on the SS/L 1300 satellite bus, will be placed at Eutelsat’s 25.5E orbital slot and provide communications services throughout the MENA region and Central Asia. It is slated to launch at the end of 2012 and enter into service in early 2013. The satellite operator teamed up with the Supreme Council of Information and Communication Technology (ictQatar) last month for the financing and launch of the new satellite anticipated in 2013. The program is joint venture where ictQatar will own and finance 54% of the new satellite. The funding will come from the Qatari government, either directly or through banks.
It is the first time Loral has been selected to build a satellite for Eutelsat. The satellite operator has in the past selected European satellite builders.
Eutelsat had already planned a smaller spacecraft to continue the development of the 25.5E orbital slot. With ictQatar on-board, the two organisations were able to order a larger, more powerful spacecraft with an extended mission.
Eutelsat selects Astrium for W5A
Meanwhile, Eutelsat has contracted EADS Astrium to build its W5A satellite.
The spacecraft, which will be based on the Eurostar E3000 platform and carry 48 Ku-band transponders, is scheduled to be launched in the fourth quarter 2012 and will be located at 70.5E to cover Europe, Africa, Central Asia and South-East Asia.
The five-tonne satellite will replace W5, a 24 Ku-band transponder spacecraft that was built by Alcatel Space and launched in November 2002.
W5A forms part of Eutelsat’s capital expenditure programme of an average of ?450m per year for the period June 2009 to June 2012.
The contract represents the nineteenth satellite that Atrium will construct for Eutelsat and the tenth awarded in the past 18 months.
The FSS operator’s first dedicated Ka-band satellite, KA-SAT, due to be delivered by Astrium later this year followed by Atlantic Bird 7 in 2011 and then W5A.
