Mitsubishi Electric (Melco) has become the first Japanese satellite maker to enter the Arab satcoms market with a deal to build a bird for Qatar’s Es’hailSat.
It said Es’hail 2, the operator’s second satellite, will be the 16th spacecraft to be…
Mitsubishi Electric (Melco) has become the first Japanese satellite maker to enter the Arab satcoms market with a deal to build a bird for Qatar’s Es’hailSat.
It said Es’hail 2, the operator’s second satellite, will be the 16th spacecraft to be based on Melco’s DS2000 platform, aiming to be ready to launch to 26E by the end of 2016.
The spacecraft will be fitted with Ku and Ka band transponders to broadcast satellite TV across the Middle East and North Africa, while also providing the world’s first geostationary amateur radio service, linking Brazil and India in real time.
The total cost of the project, including its ground infrastructure, is estimated at around US$360m, which will be fully funded by the Qatari government with no export credit agency support. Es’hailSat expects to secure a launch partner in mid-October.
Melco is also running an in-house satellite training programme for Qatari engineers in a similar strategy seen in nearby UAE, which plans to complete the last third of South Korea-built DubaiSat-3 on its own soil.
Ali Al Kuwari, Es’hailSat’s CEO, said: “With the success of our first satellite – Es’hail 1 – we are delighted to move forward with our satellite procurement programme with Melco.
“Es’hail 2 demonstrates both our commitment to providing premium satellite capacity for broadcasters in the MENA region and to building a sustainable satellite industry for the State of Qatar.”
The satellite will be occupying a slot that the Qatari firm bought last year from Saudi Arabia-based rival Arabsat. The position had been a point of contention between the two satellite operators because it is near Es’hail 1 at 25.5E, prompting interference concerns.
They reached a spectrum-sharing accord after international regulators declined to settle the dispute. The deal includes a mutual in-orbit back-up agreement.
Es’hail 1, which is half owned by Paris-based satellite fleet operator Eutelsat and was built by Space Systems Loral of the US, was launched by Arianespace on 29 August 2013.
Es’hailSat issued an RfP for its second satellite in March this year, bringing in Willis to advise on risk management and technical requirements. It has yet to secure insurance for Es’hail 2.
The operator was established in 2010 by ictQatar, the country’s telecoms regulator and state-run technology advocate and facilitator.
