Thales Alenia Space of France and Italy will build electronics payloads for three Russian telecommunications satellites whose platforms will be provided by ISS Reshetnev of Russia following the approval of the French export-credit agency, Coface, to guarantee the financing, the European manufacturer announced.
Thales Alenia Space and ISS Reshetnev are also teaming to build Kazakhstan’s KazSat3 telecommunications satellite. Kazakhstan in the past has procured its telecommunications satellites from Khrunichev of Russia.
KazSat3 will use Krasnoyarsk-based Reshetnev’s 1000 satellite platform to carry 28 Ku-band transponders for telecommunications services in Kazakhstan from 58.5 degrees east. The satellite will deliver 5.5 kilowatts of power to the payload and is designed to operate for 15 years.
The three Russian satellites that have won Coface support are for Russia’s largest commercial satellite fleet operator, Russian Satellite Communications Co. (RSCC) of Moscow. The contract between Thales Alenia Space, Reshetnev and RSCC had been signed in September 2010 but had not formally taken effect because of issues related to financing.
Thales Alenia Space Chief Executive Reynald Seznec said in a June 22 interview that these issues have now all been resolved, permitting Thales Alenia Space and Reshetnev to pursue work.
RSCC’s Express AM8 will be launched in 2013 and carry 24 C-band, 16 Ku-band and two L-band transponders. It will generate about 5.9 kilowatts of power for the payload.
Express AT1, to be launched in 2012, will carry 32 Ku-band transponders and provide 5.6 kilowatts of power. Express AT2, also slated for launch in 2012, will carry 16 Ku-band transponders and generate 3 kilowatts of power.
All three satellites are scheduled to operate for 15 years.
