Hybrid Ku/Ka-band is First for AMERICOM2Home® for its EchoStar Customer
Princeton, NJ – August 18, 2004 – The AMERICOM-15 (AMC-15) satellite of SES AMERICOM, an SES GLOBAL Company (Euronext Paris, Luxembourg and Frankfurt Stock Exchanges: SESG), has been delivered to the Baikonur Cosmodrome to be prepared for its scheduled September 24 launch aboard a Proton launch vehicle. The A2100AX model spacecraft was built by Lockheed Martin Commercial Space Systems (LMCSS) and is being launched by International Launch Services (ILS). The hybrid Ku-band/Ka-band satellite will operate from 105º West and support advanced video and broadband services for EchoStar Communications Corp.
AMC-15 will feature one of America’s first operating Ka-band payloads, carrying 12 -125 MHz Ka-band spot beams, along with 24 – 36 MHz, 140 watt Ku-band transponders. As the first satellite dedicated to AMERICOM2Home®, the spacecraft has been optimized to provide both Direct-to-Home video and broadband services into a single dish. After the launch, SES AMERICOM will complete the testing of all spacecraft systems and ready the satellite for service from 105º West by EchoStar’s DISH Network. The satellite will cover CONUS, plus Hawaii and Alaska.
Dean Olmstead, President & CEO of SES AMERICOM, said, “AMC-15 is pivotal to our strategic and expanding relationship with EchoStar, as well as to the development of broadband solutions for both the residential and enterprise markets. We worked closely with EchoStar on the technical design of the spacecraft to ensure complete compatibility with their existing and future services. AMERICOM is ready to operate its first Ka-band payload, and we believe EchoStar will fully utilize the satellite’s spectrum to expand their offerings to their subscribers.”
The AMC-15 spacecraft was flown to Baikonur, Kazakhstan on an Antonov cargo plane that departed Moffett Air Force Base, California on August 11th. The load was massive comprising a total of seven huge containers with a cumulative weight of 80 tons. Once the spacecraft is un-packed, a team of AMERICOM, Lockheed Martin and ILS engineers and launch specialists will progress through a sequence of final preparations leading to the mid-September launch. These preparations include: launch site testing, spacecraft fueling, integrating the satellite into the Proton launch vehicle fairing, mating the fairing with the Proton M/Breeze M, roll-out and erection of the rocket on the launch pad, and a final set of tests.
About SES AMERICOM
The largest supplier of satellite services in the U.S., SES AMERICOM, Inc. is recognized as a pioneer of global satellite communications services. Established in 1973 with its first satellite circuit for the U.S. Department of Defense, the company currently operates a fleet of 16 spacecraft in orbital positions predominantly providing service throughout the Americas. As a member of the SES GLOBAL family (Euronext Paris, Luxembourg and Frankfurt Stock Exchanges: SESG), SES AMERICOM is able to provide end-to-end telecommunications solutions to any region in the world. In 2001, the company established AMERICOM Government Services, a wholly owned subsidiary dedicated to providing satellite-based communications solutions to both civilian and defense agencies of the U.S. government. In 2003, SES AMERICOM formed WORLDSAT, a wholly owned subsidiary that markets capacity on four satellites covering Asia and the Atlantic and Pacific Ocean regions, and connecting premier regional satellite fleets. With its combined operations, SES AMERICOM serves broadcasters, cable programmers, aeronautical and maritime communications integrators, Internet service providers, mobile communications networks, government agencies, educational institutions, carriers and secure global data networks with efficient communication and content distribution solutions.
