Space Systems/Loral Signs With Sea Launch for Telstar-8

Space Systems/Loral (SS/L), a
subsidiary of Loral Space & Communications , has signed an
agreement with Sea Launch, the ocean-based launch services company, to launch
the Telstar-8 satellite in 2002.

The contract, signed July 26, came two days before the successful launch
of PAS-9, in which Sea Launch delivered the satellite to orbit with “bull’s
eye” accuracy.
That mission reaffirmed the reliability of the system, the
performance of the rocket and the extraordinary teamwork of the Sea Launch
partners.

“This agreement represents yet another significant expression of customer
confidence in Sea Launch,” said Will Trafton, president of Sea Launch.
“It is
confidence not only in our capability demonstrated to date, but also in our
future as we grow our way to 5700 kg performance.
Telstar-8 is the heaviest
payload on our current manifest and this launch will demonstrate the robust
capacity of our Zenit-3SL.”

The rocket will lift the 5500-kg. (12,125 lb.) Telstar-8 satellite to
Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit from the Odyssey Launch Platform, which is
positioned on the equator at 154 degrees West Longitude.
Built by SS/L for
Loral Skynet, Telstar-8 is one of the most powerful communications satellites
ever designed.
It is the first to be built on SS/L’s extended 1300 bus and
will carry 92 transponders with a total end-of-life power of 16 kw.
The
payload will include Ku-band, C-band, and Ka-band transponders, providing
coverage across North and South America.

Sea Launch provides commercial satellite customers, the most direct and
cost-effective route to geosynchronous transfer orbit.
From its ocean-based
launch site, the Sea Launch Zenit-3SL rocket can lift a heavier spacecraft
mass or place a payload into a higher perigee, helping satellite operators
attain a longer satellite service capability.
Launching from the equator also
provides value-added operational benefits, including increased performance and
launch availability.

The Sea Launch multinational partnership includes Boeing Commercial Space
Company of Kent, Wash.; RSC Energia of Moscow, Russia; SDO Yuzhnoye/PO
Yuzhmash of Dnepropetrovsk, Ukraine; and the Anglo-Norwegian Kvaerner Group of
Oslo, Norway.
For more information, visit the Sea Launch website at:
www.sea-launch.com

Space Systems/Loral is a premier designer, manufacturer and integrator of
satellites and satellite systems.
SS/L also provides a range of related
services, including mission control operations and procurement of launch
services.
Based in Palo Alto, California, SS/L serves an international base
of commercial and governmental customers in applications such as broadband
digital communications, wireless telephony, direct-to-home broadcast,
environmental monitoring and air traffic control.
SS/L is ISO 9001 certified.
For more information, visit www.ssloral.com