A Boeing-built
telecommunications satellite has provided 17 years of service to its
customers on Earth, double its contract life.

The Boeing 376 satellite, built by Boeing Satellite Systems (BSS)
in El Segundo, Calif., was launched in 1985 and contracted to serve
eight years. The Brasilsat A1 was recently de-orbited, but not before
it became one of 93 Boeing-built satellites to outlast their contract
life.

A follow-up spacecraft, Brasilsat A2 was launched in 1986 and
remains in service today for Star One (www.starone.com.br), Embratel’s
subsidiary, covering North America.

Nearly half of all satellites built by BSS, the
satellite-manufacturing arm of Boeing Space and Communications (S&C),
a unit of The Boeing Co. , have surpassed their contract
life.

“No other spacecraft manufacturer approaches this record of
satellite longevity,” said Art Rosales, vice president of commercial
programs for BSS. “This record proves that this is a superior
satellite design. Since its introduction in 1977, we’ve made very few
changes to convert that margin of service into something of value to
the customer — more power and additional payload capability.

“Brasilsat A1’s long life speaks volumes about the robustness and
reliability of the Boeing 376. With 56 launched, we have a perfect
on-orbit record, and because we built a lot of margin into the initial
design, so far 31 Boeing 376 satellites — 55 percent — have
outlasted their contract life.”

BSS built the two Brasilsat A series spacecraft in the mid-1980s
under a subcontract to Spar Aerospace of Canada for Brazil’s national
telecommunications provider Embratel. Brasilsat A1 became the first
national communications satellite to operate in South America.

After Brasilsat A1 served its contract life, Embratel leased the
satellite to PanAmSat Corp., Wilton, Conn. With its antenna re-aimed
at North America, Brasilsat A1 continued to generate revenue for
PanAmSat until it was taken out of service in March 2002, more than 17
years after it was launched.

The first Boeing 376 satellite model was launched in 1980, and
today the Boeing 376 is the world’s second most purchased satellite
after the Boeing 601. BSS can produce a Boeing 376 satellite in about
12-14 months.

Due to its shorter manufacturing time compared with larger models,
the Boeing 376 should “continue to fill a unique niche for customers
who are getting into the business and need a smaller spacecraft, or
for established operators who have a specific business opportunity for
a specific region and need a satellite on a short schedule,” Rosales
said.

Boeing S&C, with headquarters in Seal Beach, is the world’s
largest space and communications company. A unit of The Boeing Co.,
S&C provides integrated solutions in launch services, human space
flight and exploration, missile defense, and information and
communications.

It is NASA’s largest contractor, a leading provider of space-based
communications, the primary systems integrator for U.S. missile
defense, and a leading provider of intelligence, surveillance and
reconnaissance. The global enterprise has customers worldwide and
manufacturing operations throughout the United States and Australia.

Note to Editors: Photo of Boeing 376 satellite available at
www.boeingmedia.com or by contacting one of the communicators listed
below.

Contact: Boeing Space & Communications

Richard Esposito, 310/335-6314
richard.esposito@boeing.com

or

Ann Beach, 562/797-4222
ann.m.beach@boeing.com
www.boeing.com