SES NEW SKIES Contracts NSS-14 With Space Systems/Loral
Powerful new satellite reinforces SES NEW SKIES key orbital position at 338 degrees East serving the Americas, Europe and Africa
The Hague, Netherlands, February 27th, 2008 – SES NEW SKIES, an SES company (Euronext Paris and Luxembourg Stock Exchange: SESG) announces that it has contracted Space Systems/Loral (SSL), a subsidiary of Loral Space & Communications (NASDAQ: LORL), for the procurement of NSS-14, a satellite designed to serve the growing needs of SES NEW SKIES customers. Work on the NSS-14 program will start immediately; terms of the contract remain confidential.
SES NEW SKIES will deploy NSS-14 over the Atlantic Ocean region at 338 degrees East, enabling the incumbent NSS-7 satellite to move to a new orbital position further enhancing SES NEW SKIES ability to support its customers’ global satellite requirements. 338 degrees East is one of the most highly demanded orbital locations for trans-Atlantic traffic serving the Americas, Europe and Africa.
NSS-14 will be a hybrid satellite featuring 52 x 36 MHz equivalent C-band transponders and 72 x 36 MHz equivalent Ku-band transponders, a substantial increase in the total capacity available at 338 degrees East The state-of-the-art spacecraft has been specifically designed for its orbital location, with C-Band beams serving the eastern hemisphere of Europe/Africa, full America’s coverage as well as a global beam to support mobile and maritime customers. Four high power, regional Ku-Band beams will provide service to Europe/Middle East, West Africa, North America and South America with extensive cross-strapping between C- and Ku-band transponders providing enhanced connectivity. SES NEW SKIES has sought the advice of customers on the current NSS-7 spacecraft in designing the beams on NSS-14, resulting in expanded and enhanced coverage in all regions. Government applications will benefit from sophisticated command encryption. The satellite will be equipped with an ion propulsion system ensuring a minimum life of at least 15 years in orbit. At a launch weight of 5800 kilograms, NSS-14 will be compatible with all relevant launch vehicle providers, and a booster for the planned launch in the fourth quarter of 2010 will be announced at a later stage.
Rob Bednarek, President and CEO of SES NEW SKIES, states: “338 degrees East is a neighbourhood that is particularly important to our customers, so it is with great pleasure that we underline our commitment to their business with this new procurement. Our ambitious expansion plans – NSS-9 this year, NSS-12 in 2009 and NSS-14 in 2010 – will add more than 200 transponders to our fleet and provide our customers around the world with new, state-of-the art satellite capacity to grow their businesses. SES NEW SKIES looks forward to working with Space Systems/Loral on the NSS-14 mission, the second procurement by an SES company with SS/L*.”
* In May 2007 SES NEW SKIES contracted SSL for the manufacture of NSS-12 scheduled for launch in 2009
About SES NEW SKIES
SES NEW SKIES is an SES company (Euronext Paris and Luxembourg Stock Exchange: SESG) offering satellite communication services to a range of customers including telecommunications providers, broadcasters, corporations and governments around the world. SES NEW SKIES owns and operates a global fleet of seven satellites in orbit, with two additional spacecraft under construction (NSS-9 and NSS-12) and ground facilities around the world. Headquartered in The Hague, the company has offices in Hong Kong, Johannesburg, Sao Paulo, Singapore, Sydney and Washington, D.C. In addition to SES NEW SKIES, SES wholly owns the market-leading satellite operators SES ASTRA in Europe and SES AMERICOM in North America, as well as 90% of SES SIRIUS and strategic participations in Ciel in Canada and Quetzsat in Mexico. SES provides outstanding satellite communications solutions via a global fleet of 38 satellites in 25 orbital locations. Further information on the company is available at www.ses-newskies.com and on SES at www.ses.com
About Space Systems/Loral
Based in Palo Alto, California, Space Systems/Loral designs and builds satellites and spacecraft systems for commercial and government customers around the world. As the leading provider of high-power commercial satellites, the company works closely with satellite operators to deliver spacecraft for a broad range of services including direct-to-home television, digital audio radio, broadband Internet, and digital multimedia broadcasting. With a 50-year history and more than 1,400 on-orbit years logged, SS/L helps customers meet business objectives with advanced solutions based on space-proven heritage designs. SS/L is a subsidiary of satellite communications company Loral Space & Communications (NASDAQ: LORL). For more information, visit www.loral.com.
For further information please contact:
Yves Feltes
SES NEW SKIES
Tel: +352 710 725 311
Yves.Feltes@ses-newskies.com
