SKY Perfect JSAT Corporation (Head Office: Minato-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director, President & Chief Executive Officer: Shinji Takada) has concluded a contract for a launch service for its JCSAT-16 communications satellite with Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX) (Head Office: Hawthorne, California, United States; President and COO: Gwynne Shotwell) .
JCSAT-16 will function as an in-orbit back-up satellite to the existing services in the Ku- and Ka-band for the Japanese market, enabling the provision of more stable and continuous satellite services and further strengthening the foundations of SKY Perfect JSAT’s business.
With this launch, SKY Perfect JSAT will strive to maintain stable and high-quality satellite communications services in Japan.
Satellite bus: SSL1300 manufactured by Space Systems/Loral.
Specifications of the Satellites:
(1) Frequency bands: Ku- and Ka-band
(2) Main coverage: Japan
(3) Launch date: First half of FY2016 (scheduled)
(4) Service life: 15 years or more
About SpaceX
SpaceX designs, manufactures, and launches the world’s most advanced rockets and spacecraft. The company was founded in 2002 by Elon Musk to revolutionize space transportation, with the ultimate goal of enabling people to live on other planets. Today, SpaceX is advancing the boundaries of space technology through its Falcon launch vehicles and Dragon spacecraft. SpaceX is a private company owned by management and employees, with minority investments from Founders Fund, Draper Fisher Jurvetson, and Valor Equity Partners. The company has more than 3,000 employees in California, Texas, Washington, D.C., and Florida. For more information, visit www.spacex.com.
About SKY Perfect JSAT
SKY Perfect JSAT Corporation is a leader in the converging fields of broadcasting and communications. It is Asia’s largest satellite operator with a fleet of 16 satellites, and Japan’s only provider of both multi-channel pay TV broadcasting and satellite communications services. SKY Perfect JSAT delivers a broad range of entertainment through the SKY PerfecTV! platform, the most extensive in Japan with a total of 3.5 million subscribers. In addition, SKY Perfect JSAT’s satellite communications services, which cover Japan and the rest of Asia, as well as Oceania, Russia, Middle East, Hawaii and North America, play a vital role in supporting safety, security and convenience for society as a whole. For more information, please visit www.sptvjsat.com and www.jsat.net.
