Space Systems/Loral Platform Provides Flexibility to Accommodate Multiple Missions
Space Systems/Loral (SS/L), the world’s leading provider of commercial satellites, today announced that it has been selected to provide a satellite to Telesat, one of the world’s leading satellite operators. The new satellite, Anik G1, is a multi-mission spacecraft that supports a variety of applications including direct-to-home (DTH) television broadcasting in Canada; government requirements over the Americas and the Pacific; and broadband, voice, data and video services in South America.
“The Space Systems/Loral platform offered us the flexibility to build on the commitment of a key Telesat customer, Shaw Direct, that will use Anik G1 to expand their video service offerings across Canada,” said Dan Goldberg, President and CEO of Telesat. “The ability to cost effectively combine multiple service missions on one satellite makes the SS/L platform a winning solution for Telesat and our customers.”
Anik G1 is a multi-band satellite that will be located at 107.3 degrees West Longitude when it goes into service in the second half of 2012. The satellite will provide 16 high-power Ku-band transponders in the extended FSS band to support Shaw Direct’s growing DTH video programming for the Canadian market. It also has 12 Ku-band and 24 C-band transponders that will both replace and expand on Telesat’s Anik F1 satellite now serving South America. In addition, Anik G1 will have three X-band channels for government services over the Americas and part of the Pacific Ocean, and one channel in the reverse Direct Broadcast Service band.
Anik G1 will be built on SS/L’s proven 1300 modular platform that offers the industry’s highest power capability and flexibility for a broad range of applications. SS/L’s 1300 enables Telesat to maximize the value of a mid-sized satellite by accommodating multiple payloads that meet very specific market needs.
“Our 1300 platform has an excellent reliability record and is particularly well-suited to accommodate Telesat’s requirements,” said John Celli, president, Space Systems/Loral. “We are very pleased that Telesat continues to put their trust in SS/L to help them keep pace with the growing demand for satellite services around the world.”
In 2009, two SS/L-built satellites, Telstar 11N and Nimiq 5, successfully went into service for Telesat. SS/L now has three additional Telesat satellites under construction, including Telstar 14R, Nimiq 6 and Anik G1. These all have a planned mission life of 15 years.
About Telesat
Headquartered in Ottawa, Canada, with offices and facilities around the world, Telesat is the fourth largest fixed satellite services operator. The company provides reliable and secure satellite-delivered communications solutions to broadcast, telecom, corporate and government customers. Telesat has a global state-of-the-art fleet of 12 satellites, with three more under construction, and manages the operations of 13 additional satellites for third parties. Telesat is privately held. Its principal shareholders are Canada’s Public Sector Pension Investment Board and Loral Space & Communications Inc. (Nasdaq:LORL – News).
About Space Systems/Loral
Space Systems/Loral, a subsidiary of Loral Space & Communications (Nasdaq:LORL – News), has a long history of delivering reliable satellites and spacecraft systems for commercial and government customers around the world. As the world’s leading provider of commercial satellites, the company works closely with satellite operators to provide spacecraft for a broad range of services including television and radio distribution, digital audio radio, broadband Internet, and mobile communications. Billions of people around the world depend on SS/L satellites every day. For more information, visit www.ssloral.com.
About Loral Space & Communications
Loral Space & Communications is a satellite communications company. Through its Space Systems/Loral subsidiary, the company is a world-class leader in the design and manufacture of satellites and satellite systems for commercial and government applications including direct-to-home television, broadband communications, wireless telephony, weather monitoring, and air traffic management. Loral also owns 64 percent of Telesat, one of the world’s largest providers of satellite services. Telesat operates a fleet of telecommunications satellites used to broadcast video entertainment programming, distribute direct-to-home video and broadband data services, and other value-added communications services. For more information, visit Loral’s Web site at www.loral.com.
