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Paris, France (SPX) Jun 07, 2006 EADS Astrium and ARABSAT announced Tuesday they have signed a contract for the construction of the BADR-6, or "Full Moon," satellite. Scheduled to enter service in 2008, BADR-6 will provide communications services over a wide area encompassing the entire Middle East and North Africa region, from Morocco to the Gulf and a large part of sub-Saharan Africa. It is the fifth communications satellite contract awarded to EADS Astrium since the beginning of 2006. EADS Astrium will build the satellite as prime contractor and will be responsible for launch and early operations as part of an in-orbit delivery contract. EADS Astrium has already developed the Satellite Control Centers in Dirab, Saudi Arabia, and Tunis, Tunisia, to control the ARABSAT satellite fleet. The communications payload will be supplied by Alcatel Alenia Space. BADR-6 has a launch mass of 3.4 tons, a solar array span of 32 meters once deployed in orbit, and payload power of about 6 kW. As with the two satellites already built by EADS Astrium for ARABSAT, BADR-6 is based on the E2000+ version of the highly successful Eurostar communications satellite series. BADR-6 will provide commercial services for a minimum of 15 years. Equipped with 20 transponders in Ku-band and 24 transponders in C-band, it will offer the highest downlink power level and the widest coverage in both bands across the Arab world. Joining ARABSAT's constellation of BADR satellites at 26o East prime video position, it will provide media groups in the Arab and neighbouring regions with unparalleled satellite broadcast services for direct-to-home television in both bands, the latest interactive TV applications and internet broadband direct-access services. It will also provide enough extra capacity to accommodate the anticipated boom in demand for HDTV in the Middle East and North Africa in the coming years. "With its fast-track delivery schedule, this decision ensures that our customers operating at ARABSAT's 26 degrees east (longitude) primary TV hot spot will continue to receive from us in the next 20 years the highest levels of reliability and performance for state-of-the-art television and telecommunications services," said Khalid Balkheyour, ARABSAT's president and CEO. ARABSAT, headquartered in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, delivers programming an audience of 130 million viewers. Community Email This Article Comment On This Article Related Links EADS Astrium ARABSAT The latest information about the Commercial Satellite Industry
PanAmSat Holding Corporation Announces Proposed Offering
Wilton CT (SPX) Jun 06, 2006PanAmSat Holding Corp. announced Monday it intends to offer approximately $725 million of senior notes due 2016, and PanAmSat intends to offer approximately $575 million of senior notes due 2016. |
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