Thaicom is in talks with lenders to partly fund a new US$178.5m satellite project that it aims to launch in 2016 to cover Thailand and surrounding regions.
The satellite operator is seeking short and long term loans to back the order of a new bird from…
Thaicom is in talks with lenders to partly fund a new US$178.5m satellite project that it aims to launch in 2016 to cover Thailand and surrounding regions.
The satellite operator is seeking short and long term loans to back the order of a new bird from US-based Orbital Sciences, to be called Thaicom-8, which will also be supported by internal cashflow.
Thaicom-8 will carry 24 Ku-band transponders to meet rising demand for capacity in South Asia and Africa at 78.5E, as well as replacing the group’s existing satellites that are reaching the end of their operational lives.
Thaicom’s board approved the project today and singled out US-based SpaceX to launch it. It is still in the process of selecting an insurer.
Suphajee Suthumpun, the operator’s CEO, said: “Thaicom-8 will support the growth of Thailand’s broadcasting industry and provide adequate capacity to serve the HDTV trend. The satellite will also allow us to meet the Ultra-HD demands for Thailand and the international market expected in the future.”
She told SatelliteFinance in August that it would order Thaicom-8, also known as Ipstar-2, once it gained at least 50% pre-commitment from customers.
Thaicom 6, the group’s latest satellite to be launched, was placed at 78.5E at the start of 2014 in what was only SpaceX’s second geosynchronous transfer mission.
SpaceX is also due to loft Thaicom-7 at 120E in the middle of this year in a dual launch with a satellite for Hong Kong’s AsiaSat.
The Thaicom-8 announcement came during a big day for Orbital as the manufacturer unveiled a US$5bn merger with US-based ATK, its single largest supplier.