Space Systems/Loral has announced that it shipped a new communications satellite built for Asia Satellite Telecommunications Company Limited (AsiaSat) to the Baikonur Space Center in Kazakhstan, where it is scheduled to launch in early- to mid-August aboard a ILS Proton Breeze M launch vehicle provided by International Launch Services (ILS).
"We are very proud of being able to contribute to the continuing success of AsiaSat with the delivery of the AsiaSat 5 satellite," said John Celli, President and Chief Operating Officer of Space Systems/Loral. "With the proven reliability of the SS/L 1300 platform, we have built an excellent tool to help this first class regional operator enhance and expand its business."
AsiaSat 5, a Fixed Satellite Services (FSS) spacecraft, is designed to provide television broadcast, telephone networks, and VSAT networks for broadband multimedia services across the Asia Pacific region. AsiaSat 5 will replace AsiaSat 2 at the orbital location of 100.5 degrees East longitude and will help the operator enhance its services and expand its business.
"We are very pleased that the satellite is being shipped to the Baikonur launch base and we are looking forward to traveling to Kazakhstan for the August launch," said Peter Jackson, chief executive officer of AsiaSat.
"Our collaboration with Space Systems/Loral on this project has been very positive, and we expect to benefit from the company's long heritage of reliability in FSS satellites."
AsiaSat 5 carries 26 C-band and 14 Ku-band transponders. The C-band expands on the AsiaSat 2 pan-Asian coverage, and the Ku-band coverage consists of three high-power beams, two of which will cover East Asia and South Asia as well as the in-orbit steerable beam that can be positioned to provide service anywhere within the satellite's view.
The satellite is based on SS/L's 1300 space-proven platform, which provides the flexibility to support a broad range of applications and technology advances.
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