ARSAT has once again selected Arianespace for its commercial launch services – this time to orbit the Argentinean satellite operator’s second satellite, Arsat-2.
Participating in this week’s Satellite 2011 conference in Washington, D.C., Arianespace today announced that it has signed a launch Service & Solutions contract with Argentine operator ARSAT (Empresa Argentina de Soluciones Satelitales Sociedad Anonima) to orbit its Arsat-2 satellite by the second half of 2013.
Weighing about 2,900 kg at launch, Arsat-2 will be placed into geostationary transfer orbit by an Ariane 5 or Soyuz launcher from the Guiana Space Center, Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana. Arsat-2 will be fitted with 26 Ku-band (2 beams) and 10 C-band (hemi beam) equivalent transponders. It will offer a wide range of telecommunications, data transmission, Internet and television services, primarily across the Americas from Argentina to Canada.
The satellite is being built by the Argentine company INVAP, with Astrium and Thales Alenia Space as leading equipment suppliers. Arsat-2 will be the third Argentine satellite launched by Arianespace, following Nahuel 1A orbited in 1997 and Arsat-1 to be launched in mid 2012.
“We are very pleased with our selection of Arianespace to launch our second geostationary satellite built in Argentina,” said Pablo Tognetti, Chairman and CEO of Arsat. “Once again, price, excellence in space transportation and mission success ratio were critical in our decision.” said Pablo Tognetti, Chairman and CEO of ARSAT.
Arianespace Chairman & CEO Jean-Yves Le Gall said: “Arianespace is especially proud of this new opportunity to work with a South American satellite operator, and we would like to thank ARSAT for selecting us. This latest contract is clear recognition of the quality and competitiveness of our launch Service & Solutions.”
About Arianespace
Arianespace is the world’s leading launch service & solutions company, providing innovation to its customers since 1980. Backed by 21 shareholders and the European Space Agency, Arianespace offers an unrivalled family of launchers, comprising Ariane 5, Soyuz and Vega, and an international workforce renowned for a culture of commitment and excellence. As of 1st March 2011, Arianespace had launched with 200 Ariane launchers a total of 290 payloads, including more than half of all the commercial satellites now in service worldwide. It has a backlog of 20 Ariane 5 and 18 Soyuz launches, equal to more than three years of business.
About ARSAT
ARSAT is a company incorporated by the Argentine Government under a law passed in 2006. The company aims to develop the geostationary orbital slots assigned to the Argentine Republic by means of telecommunications satellites developed and built in Argentina, and to operate them and provide all kind of satellite services, voice, data, audio and video, to customers across the Americas. Currently holding Argentine orbital slots 81 degrees West and 72 degrees West, ARSAT is providing service to customers using satellite capacity obtained through strategic and commercial agreements with global operators. www.arsat.com.ar
