SPACE SYSTEMS/LORAL DELIVERS ASIASAT 7
SATELLITE TO BAIKONUR LAUNCH SITE AHEAD OF SCHEDULE
PALO ALTO, Calif./Hong Kong – 24 October 2011 – AsiaSat 7, a new communications satellite designed and built for Asia Satellite Telecommunications Company Limited (AsiaSat) by Space Systems/Loral (SS/L), the world’s leading provider of commercial satellites, arrived at the Baikonur Space Center in Kazakhstan, where it will be launched aboard an ILS Proton Breeze M vehicle provided by International Launch Services (ILS). The launch is currently scheduled for 26 November Baikonur time.
“We appreciate SS/L’s efforts to complete the construction of AsiaSat 7 and have it ready to ship one month ahead of schedule,” said William Wade, President and Chief Executive Officer of AsiaSat. “To ensure service continuity, AsiaSat retires satellite production schedule and launch risks through an early procurement process. Space Systems/Loral’s exemplary performance means that we will have additional capacity on-orbit well ahead of the planned date for the AsiaSat 3S replacement.”
AsiaSat 7 is a Fixed Satellite Services (FSS) spacecraft that will provide television broadcast, telephone networks and VSAT networks across the Asia-Pacific region. AsiaSat 7 will ultimately replace AsiaSat 3S at the orbital location of 105.5 degrees East longitude when the latter reaches its end of life in 2014.
“We are very pleased to help AsiaSat meet the growing demand for satellite services in the region,” said John Celli, President of Space Systems/Loral. “We tailor every satellite that we design and build specifically to meet the operator’s needs. For AsiaSat 7 we provided flexibility with switching capability, and a Ka-band payload in addition to C and Ku-band.”
AsiaSat 7 will carry 28 C-band and 17 Ku-band transponders, and a Ka payload. Its region-wide C-band beam covers Asia, the Middle East, Australasia and the Commonwealth of Independent States, with Ku-band beams serving East Asia, South Asia and a steerable Ku beam to satisfy market demand. AsiaSat 7 is based on the highly reliable Space Systems/Loral 1300 platform which offers the flexibility to support a broad range of applications and technology advances and will provide service for over 15 years.
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About AsiaSat
AsiaSat, the leading regional satellite operator in Asia, serves over two-thirds of the world’s population with its three satellites, AsiaSat 3S at 105.5ºE, AsiaSat 4 at 122ºE and AsiaSat 5 at 100.5ºE. The AsiaSat satellite fleet provides services to both the broadcast and telecommunications industries. Over 500 television and radio channels are now delivered by the company’s satellites offering access to over 620 million TV households across the Asia-Pacific region. AsiaSat also provides telecommunications operators and end users services such as voice networks, private VSAT networks and broadband multimedia. It is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Asia Satellite Telecommunications Holdings Limited, a company listed on The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited (Stock Code: 1135). For more information, please visit www.asiasat.com
About Space Systems/Loral
Space Systems/Loral, a subsidiary of Loral Space & Communications (NASDAQ: LORL), has a long history of delivering reliable satellites and spacecraft systems for commercial and government customers around the world. As the world’s leading provider of commercial satellites, the company works closely with satellite operators to provide spacecraft for a broad range of services including television and radio distribution, digital audio radio, broadband Internet, and mobile communications. Billions of people around the world depend on SS/L satellites every day. For more information, visit www.ssloral.com
About Loral Space & Communications
Loral Space & Communications is a satellite communications company. Through its Space Systems/Loral subsidiary, the company is a world-class leader in the design and manufacture of satellites and satellite systems for commercial and government applications including direct-to-home television, broadband communications, wireless telephony, weather monitoring, and air traffic management. Loral also owns 64 percent of Telesat, one of the world’s largest providers of satellite services. Telesat operates a fleet of telecommunications satellites used to broadcast video entertainment programming, distribute direct-to-home video and broadband data services, and other value-added communications services. For more information, visit Loral’s Web site at www.loral.com
Media Inquiries:
Asia Satellite Telecommunications Company Limited
Sabrina Cubbon, Vice President, Sales and Marketing Winnie Pang, Manager, Corporate Affairs
Tel : (852) 2500 0899 Tel : (852) 2500 0880
Mobile : (852) 9097 1210 Email : wpang@asiasat.com
Email : scubbon@asiasat.com
Space Systems/Loral
Wendy Lewis
Tel : +1 (650) 852-5188
Email: Lewis.wendy@ssd.loral.com