Archive for the 'SES Astra' Category
Dec 22, 2009, post by Satellite News
Satellite fleet operator SES bested competitor AsiaSat in a Dec. 16 auction for the in-orbit ProtoStar 2 telecommunications satellite, agreeing to pay $185 million in cash in a deal expected to be approved Dec. 18 by the U.S. bankruptcy court handling ProtoStar’s Chapter 11 proceedings, SES and industry officials informed.
Luxembourg-based SES, which had always been viewed as the most likely winner, faced only Hong Kong-based AsiaSat in the auction. Intelsat of Bermuda and Washington had expressed an early interest in ProtoStar 2 but ultimately did not take an active role in the auction, held at the New York offices of law firm Milbank, Tweed, Hadley & McCloy.
SES spokesman Yves Feltes declined Dec. 17 to discuss SES’s plans for ProtoStar 2, which was launched in May and is operated at 107.7 degrees east longitude, saying the company would withhold comment until the purchase had cleared bankruptcy court and U.S. regulatory approval.
One issue in the run-up to the auction was the value of the anchor-tenant contract with Indovision of Indonesia for ProtoStar 2’s S-band payload. Moving the satellite too far from its current slot would have meant losing the Indovision business with little chance of finding a replacement customer for the S-band frequency, which is little used in commercial satellite telecommunications.
SES already operates the NSS-11 satellite at 108.2 degrees east — less than a degree away — and will be able to move ProtoStar 2 to the SES position without undermining the Indovision business. AsiaSat would have had to move the satellite to 105.5 degrees east and may have had difficulty convincing Indovision that the move could be accomplished without undermining the Indonesian coverage.
Industry officials and documents filed with the Delaware Bankruptcy Court, where San Francisco- and Bermuda-based ProtoStar Ltd. filed for Chapter 11 reorganization in July, indicate that Indovision secured its S-band payload access on relatively favorable terms.
Among other contract terms, Indovision secured from ProtoStar the right to purchase the S-band payload two years into ProtoStar 2 operations for around $130 million. In the meantime, it agreed to pay annual lease charges that gradually climb from $18 million to around $23 million.
AsiaSat’s intention to move ProtoStar 2 to AsiaSat’s 105.5-degree slot would have required the approval of Indovision or risked losing the Indonesian business.
Protostar 2, a Boeing 601HP satellite model, carries 22 Ku-Band transponders as well as 10 S-band transponders, plus spares. It is expected to have a service life of at least 15 years.
SES made the purchase, through its SES Leasing subsidiary based on Britain’s Isle of Man, for its SES World Skies division.
SES World Skies Chief Executive Robert Bednarek informed the company “already has a thriving video neighborhood in the immediate vicinity of ProtoStar 2 as well as appropriate orbital rights that allow for expansion.”
About SES ASTRA.
SES ASTRA operates the ASTRA Satellite System, offering a comprehensive portfolio of broadcast and broadband solutions for customers in Europe and beyond. ASTRA broadcasts television and radio programs directly to millions of homes, and provides internet access and network services to governments, large corporations, small- to medium-sized enterprises and individual households.
Dec 01, 2009, post by Satellite News
The satellite operator orders four Astrium satellites to supply European broadcasters and fuel growth in EEMEA.
Global satellite operator SES SA and Astrium, a wholly owned subsidiary of EADS, informed that SES has ordered four multi-mission satellites from Astrium to deliver replacement as well as incremental capacity for its SES Astra and SES World Skies divisions.
The new satellites, to be designated Astra 2E, Astra 2F, Astra 2G and Astra 5B, will allow the release of the existing satellites at two orbital positions (28.2 and 31.5 degrees east) and add new capacity as well as fleet deployment flexibility for the SES group over the coming years.
The satellites are planned for launch in several steps between 2012 and 2014. The design life of each satellite is 15 years.
About EADS Astrium
EADS Astrium is an aerospace subsidiary of the European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company (EADS) and is dedicated to providing civil and defence space systems and services.
Abort SES ASTRA
SES ASTRA operates the ASTRA Satellite System, offering a comprehensive portfolio of broadcast and broadband solutions for customers in Europe and beyond. ASTRA broadcasts television and radio programmes directly to millions of homes, and provides internet access and network services to governments, large corporations, small- to medium-sized enterprises and individual households.
Dec 01, 2009, post by Satellite News
Global satellite operator SES S.A.(Paris:SESG) (LuxX:SESG) and Astrium, a wholly-owned subsidiary of EADS (Euronext Paris: EAD), informed that SES has ordered four multi-mission satellites from Astrium to provide replacement as well as incremental capacity for its SES ASTRA and SES WORLD SKIES divisions.
The new satellites, to be designated ASTRA 2E, ASTRA 2F, ASTRA 2G and ASTRA 5B, will allow the release of the existing satellites at two orbital positions (28.2 and 31.5 degrees East) and add new capacity as well as fleet deployment flexibility for the SES group over the coming years. The satellites are scheduled for launch in several steps between 2012 and 2014. The design life of each satellite is 15 years.
“This important investment in new satellite capacity will enhance the prominence of SES ASTRA’s 28.2 degrees East position, mainly for the UK and Irish markets, and improve coverage of Eastern Europe from 31.5 degrees East,” informed Romain Bausch, President and CEO of SES. “It will also allow SES WORLD SKIES to extend its offer to the African and Middle Eastern markets. By adding significant flexibility and improved functionality, these new satellites will allow SES to further drive its DTH, DTT, enterprise and broadband businesses while consolidating space assets and strengthening the international reach of the group. Also, we are pleased to be working again with Astrium. SES has appreciated the quality of their products and their customer dedication in recent and ongoing contracts, and this is exactly what we are looking for in this multi-satellite contract.”
The four new satellites will be built on a Eurostar E3000 platform, the latest version of Astrium’s Eurostar series which has proven to be highly reliable in commercial service. A total of 60 Eurostar satellites have been ordered to date. SES has already ordered three Eurostar E3000s: ASTRA 1M, which entered into service one year ago; ASTRA 3B, ready for launch early next year; and ASTRA 1N, which was ordered last year and is currently under construction.
“Astrium is extremely proud to have been selected by the world’s premier satellite operator, and I would like to profoundly thank SES for their confidence. Following a rigorous selection process among the world’s leading satellite manufacturers, Astrium demonstrated that it offered the best solutions for SES. The decision to order four satellites in a single contract increases Astrium’s long-term standing as a market leader in satellite production. I would also like to express my gratitude to the teams on both sides of the table for their outstanding professionalism, which ultimately made it possible to sign one of the biggest contracts for telecommunications satellites in the world,” informed Astrium CEO François Auque.
Three of the new spacecraft, ASTRA 2E, ASTRA 2F and ASTRA 2G, will serve to provide next generation broadcast, VSAT and broadband services in Europe and Africa, and will carry Ku-and Ka-band payloads at 28.2 degrees East.
The Ku-band capacity will allow SES ASTRA to enhance and secure its existing offering to major Direct-to-Home (DTH) markets in the UK and Ireland. With a Ku-band payload specifically designed to meet the requirements of some of Europe’s largest DTH broadcasters, the satellites will have spot beam and pan-European beam switching capabilities to accommodate both pay-TV and free-to-air broadcasters, and to provide these consumers with increased functionality. SES ASTRA customers in this region include BSkyB, BBC, ITV, Freesat, Channel Four, UK TV, Virgin Media, Five, MTV and Discovery. The Ka-band payload will allow SES ASTRA to develop next generation broadband services in Europe, including its growing ASTRA2Connect product.
ASTRA 2E, ASTRA 2F and ASTRA 2G will also include replacement and new capacity for the SES WORLD SKIES division, serving the African and the Middle Eastern markets with Ku-and Ka-band capacity. The new capacity will provide continuity of service and expansion opportunities for customers that are today already using the ASTRA 2B steerable beam over West Africa, as well as for new customers.
ASTRA 5B will be deployed at the orbital position 31.5 degrees East, extending SES ASTRA’s transponder capacity and geographical reach over Eastern European and neighboring markets for DTH, Direct-to-Cable (DTC) and contribution feeds to Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT) networks.
SES’ orbital position 28.2 degrees East is currently served by the ASTRA 2A, 2B and 2D spacecraft. The 31.5 degrees East position is currently served by ASTRA 2C.
