Evry, France, September 9, 2003- Arianespace announced today that it will orbit the ASTRA 1KR telecommunications satellite under terms of a launch services contract signed by SES ASTRA President & CEO Ferdinand KAYSER and Jean-Yves LE GALL, Arianespace’s CEO.
The launch of ASTRA 1KR is planned for the second half of 2005 on an Ariane vehicle fromEurope’s Spaceport at theGuianaSpaceCenterinFrench Guiana.
ASTRA 1KR is the ninth satellite entrusted to the European launch vehicle by SES ASTRA, an SES GLOBAL company (Luxembourgand Frankfurt Stock Exchanges: SESG) the world’s no. 1 private satellite operator.
Built by Lockheed Martin Commercial Space Systems, ASTRA 1KR will have a liftoff mass of approximately 4,200 kg. The satellite is based on the A2100 satellite bus, and will provide high-power satellite services with its payload of 32 active Ku-band transponders.
ASTRA 1KR is designed for a minimum operational lifetime of 15 years, and will offer a wide range of services across all ofEurope from the orbital position of 19.2 deg. East. Once in orbit, it will replace the ASTRA 1B and 1C satellites that were launched by Arianespace in 1991 and 1993, respectively.
States Ferdinand Kayser, President and CEO of SES ASTRA, “SES ASTRA looks back at eight flawless launch campaigns on Ariane 4 and 5 boosters. We are confident that Arianespace’s launch services will once again meet SES’ high standards of operational excellence and we look forward to be working with Arianespace’s highly professional technical teams on the ASTRA 1KR mission inFrench Guiana.”
Following the contract signature, Jean-Yves Le Gall said, “This order, which comes from a leading satellite telecommunications provider, is a new sign of confidence in Arianespace from SES ASTRA.”
About Arianespace
Arianespace is the commercial launch services leader, holding more than 50 percent of the international market for satellites launched to geostationary transfer orbit (GTO). Created in 1980 as the world’s first commercial space transportation company, Arianespace has signed contracts for the launch of more than 250 satellite payloads. For further information, see the Arianespace Web site at www.arianespace.com.
