Archive for the ‘Intelsat’ Category
Boeing to Build New Payload for Intelsat
Intelsat has contracted Boeing to provide a second ultra-high frequency hosted payload on the fourth communications satellite ordered from Boeing last year.
The second UHF hosted payload will be installed on the IS-27 satellite. The payload will offer 20 25-KHz UHF channels capable of serving the U.S. government and other Intelsat general clients around the world, Boeing said.
The second payload will be identical to the UHF payload for the Australian military that will be hosted on the IS-22 satellite and launched in 2012.
“Providing a second military hosted payload for Intelsat demonstrates our ability to rapidly respond to provide capability to augment government customers’ needs,” said Craig Cooning, vice president and general manager of Boeing Space & Intelligence Systems. “Boeing has been a leading government payload provider for more than 40 years and we are well-qualified to equip commercial satellites with operationally responsive space solutions for military customers around the world.”
The modular design of the Boeing 702MP satellites in the Intelsat series allows the UHF and other hosted payloads to be accommodated easily, with no impact to the assembly or delivery schedules.
Intelsat Starts Work on Intelsat 27 Satellite
Intelsat has began construction of the Intelsat 27 (IS-27) satellite that will include a UHF hosted payload for government applications. The satellite slated for launch in December 2012, will carry a hybrid C- and Ku-band design for media and network customers. The UHF hosted payload will provide capability to complement the existing UHF Follow-On and future Multi-User Objective System (MUOS) satellites.
“Our intended customers for this payload are the Navy and [Department of Defense] tactical users, as well as NATO and other allies,” Kay Sears, president of Intelsat General Corporation, said in a statement.IS-27 will replace Intelsat 805 in the Atlantic Ocean Region.
Intelsat Starts Construction of Intelsat 27 Satellite
Intelsat, the world’s leading provider of fixed satellite services, announced today that it has commenced construction of the Intelsat 27 satellite (IS-27). IS-27 will have a hybrid C- and Ku-band design for media and network customers and will be augmented with a 20 x 25 kHz channel UHF payload for use in government applications. IS-27 is expected to be launched by December 2012 and will be placed in the Atlantic Ocean Region as a replacement for the Intelsat 805 satellite.
The IS-27 UHF hosted payload provides capability to complement the existing UHF Follow-On (UFO) and future Multi-User Objective System (MUOS) satellites. The payload supports DAMA and IW operations, and is digitally tunable and completely interoperable with existing terminals.
“Intelsat has been providing commercial UHF services to the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) and our allies since the MARISAT and LEASAT programs. This payload continues that heritage and builds upon our current program with the Australian Defence Force,” said Don Brown, Vice President of Hosted Payloads for Intelsat General Corporation. “The IS-27 UHF payload will be functionally equivalent to the Navy’s UFO-11 satellite.”
In March 2010, the Navy submitted a UHF augmentation plan to Congress. A commercially hosted UHF payload was one of the solutions described to mitigate the shortfall in UHF capability. On May 10, 2010, SPAWAR issued a Sources Sought notice to industry requesting solutions for UHF augmentation.
Intelsat signed an agreement with Boeing Space and Intelligence Systems for manufacturing of IS-27 earlier this month. Intelsat authorized Boeing to proceed with the UHF hosted payload in the second quarter of 2010 for long-lead construction in order to meet a launch date in 2012.