SATNET.NET.NZ Digital Satellite

Viet Nam plans to launch second satellite Vinasat-2 in eight years
May 6, 2008
Viet Nam has entered negotiations for a position in orbit for its second satellite, Vinasat-2, which is slated to launch in the next seven to eight years, said Deputy Minister of Information and Telecommunications Tran Duc Lai.
Any contractor that meets the requisite conditions for technology and capital will be allowed to participate in Viet Nam’s second satellite project, said Lai.
According to Lai, the successful launch of Vinasat 1 on April 19 laid the foundation for a second satellite launch in the next seven to eight years. To prepare for this, Viet Nam has started negotiating with the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) to fix an orbital position for the second satellite.
According to Deputy General Director of the Viet Nam Post and Telecommunications Group (VNPT) Pham Ba Thuoc, around one hour after lift off, the satellite control station based in Que Duong in the northern province of Ha Tay received the first signal from Vinasat 1.
The satellite is controlled from a primary station in Ha Tay and a backup station in the southern province of Binh Duong. Vinasat 1-related services will be supplied as of June 1, 2008. US contractor Lockheed Martin is providing Viet Nam with functional support for the satellite during the first six months of its operation. - VNS

VINASAT-1 , with its deployment occurring 31 minutes into the mission. Manufactured in the U.S. by Lockheed Martin Commercial Space Systems, it will become Vietnam's first telecommunications satellite - operated by the Vietnam Posts and Telecommunications Group. The 2,600-kg.VINASAT-1 is configured with a payload of 12 Ku-band and 8 C-band transponders for radio, television and telephone transmission services over all of Vietnam and the Asia Pacific region. Its final geostationary orbit position will be 132 deg. East.
VINASAT-1 was the 39th Lockheed Martin spacecraft to be launched by Arianespace.

"Ariane 5's new success tonight further strengthens Arianespace's no. 1 position worldwide," said Chairman & CEO Jean-Yves Le Gall after the mission. "This did not happen by chance - it is the result of our strategy to perform dual-payload missions with the same launcher configuration every time: the Ariane 5 ECA. It's a winning strategy that allows the match-up [of payloads] for successful launches, on time, which is what our clients want."
Le Gall noted that as Ariane 5's mission rate continues to accelerate at Europe's Spaceport, the vehicle will soon be complemented by operations of the medium-lift Soyuz and lightweight Vega launchers from French Guiana.
Ariane 5 made an on-time liftoff from Europe Spaceport’s ELA-3 launch zone in French Guiana.

Arqiva and SAT-GE to deliver MPEG-4 High Definition platform to Asia Pacific
April 16, 2008
Arqiva’s Satellite Media Solutions division announced today that it is joining forces with SAT-GE, a subsidiary of General Electric, to Pacific satellite-based High Definition (HD) video platform. Collaboration and co-ordination by both parties has already begun on the new platform that will enable broadcasters to distribute and contribute HD and Standard Definition (SD) channels to Asian-Pacific broadcasters and cable headends.

From Arqiva’s Digital Media Center and teleport facilities in Los Angeles, California, the new HD platform will be uplinked onto GE 23 at 172 degrees East, which is ideally positioned to provide a broad satellite footprint for coverage from the United States into key locations including Singapore, Hong Kong, China, Japan, Thailand, South Korea, Indonesia, The Philippines, Australia and New Zealand.

MPEG-4 encoding will be employed in a fully flexible range of bit rates including 12 and 8 megabits per second for HD, and 4 megabits per second for SD. The HD Video platform offers a state-of-the-art and cost-effective solution for customers wishing to reach the Asia Pacific.

The Multi Channel Per Carrier (MCPC) signal is transmitted using High Order DVB-S2 8PSK modulation for maximum bandwidth efficiency and performance, while providing customers with a high quality solution that optimizes satellite space segment capacity on the 36 MHz C-band transponder. Arqiva will also offer antenna placement.

Andrew Jordan, SAT-GE President & CEO said, “We are excited about working with Arqiva to deliver video services to the growing market. The MPEG-4 technology behind the new platform will enable broadcasters to deliver HD content at an extremely cost-effective price and will encourage SD broadcasters to enter into progressive HD delivery. Arqiva’s global infrastructure and international reputation for delivering exceptional levels of reliable connectivity makes them the ideal partner for this project.”

Simon Thrush, Senior Vice President for Arqiva in the US added: “The Asia Pacific market offers tremendous opportunities for broadcasters, and Arqiva is excited to be facilitating this growth with SAT-GE. The available capacity on GE 23 makes it a particularly attractive proposition for broadcasters with an eye on future expansion, while its extensive footprint provides access to key growth markets including China. The combination of Arqiva’s MPEG-4, DVB S2 8PSK technology, and relationship with SAT-GE, will be instrumental in redefining and expanding the HD satellite neighborhoods in the Asian Pacific marketplace, enabling Arqiva to offer a cost effective and high quality service to our customers.”

Optus D2 Satellite blasts off!
06 Oct 2007
Optus announced today that the Optus D2 Satellite has been successfully propelled into orbit after a spectacular launch from French Guiana.
The Optus D2 Satellite further expands Optus' existing satellite fleet, providing unique communications capabilities unmatched by any other telecommunications company in Australia.
Optus is focused on providing broadcasting and broadband services to customers, as well as providing wholesale satellite access to companies delivering subscription TV and internet services.
Paul Sheridan, Head of Optus Satellite, said that this second addition to the Optus D-series satellite family is another example of Optus leading the market in the Australian satellite industry, using state-of-the-art rocket technology, with one of the youngest satellite fleets in operation.
"After more than twenty years of leading satellite-based communication services in Australia, Optus continues to make a substantial investment to increase Australia’s communications capability."
"Optus’ D-series satellites, the latest generation of Optus satellites, enable Optus to provide additional services to our customers with growth opportunities in the Subscription TV, and ethnic services broadcast sectors and additional in-orbit redundancy out to the year 2020 and beyond," Mr Sheridan said.
The Optus D1 satellite was successfully launched in October 2006 and the D2 satellite is the next step in rejuvenating the Optus Satellite fleet. Optus D2 satellite will replace the Optus B3 satellite which has been in operation since 1994. The new generation D-series offers increased satellite performance and provides continuity of service for Optus Satellite customers as Optus B-series Satellites near end of life.
Optus Satellite will continue to bring rural and regional Australia enhanced capacity for two-way communications services (VSAT) and extended reach for direct-to-home television services.
The Optus D-series Satellites will increase Optus’ fleet capacity by more than 30 percent and represents an overall investment in excess of A$600 million.
The third D-series Satellite, Optus D3, is planned to be delivered in 2009.

Optus D2 is ready for integration on the Ariane 5 GS launch vehicle
September 17, 2007
Optus D2 is fueled in the S5B hall of the S5 satellite preparation facility.
The second satellite for Arianespace’s upcoming dual-passenger mission has
completed its fueling at Europe’s Spaceport and is now ready for integration
on the Ariane 5 GS launcher.

Optus D2 was “topped off” in the S5B hall - which is one of three primary clean room
zones within the state-of-the-art S5 satellite preparation facility at the Spaceport.
Optus D2 is based on the Orbital Sciences Corporation’s STAR spacecraft bus.
D2 is equipped with a liquid bi-propellant transfer orbit system and a monopropellant
(hydrazine) on-orbit system.

Optus D2 will be operated by Australian-based Optus, enabling the development of new business opportunities for the direct-to-home market, new data services and services bundling. It will have launch mass of 2,350 kg. and an operational life of 15-plus years from an orbital position of 152 deg. East.

This is the second satellite in Optus' D-series fleet - the first of which was orbited by an Ariane 5 in October 2006.

Liftoff of the Ariane 5 GS with Optus D2 is set for October 2 in an evening launch window. It will be the fourth of six Ariane 5 flights planned by Arianespace in 2007 - continuing the sustained mission rate to meet the company’s growing commercial order book.

Optus D2 pre-launch checkout begins.
31 August 2007
Optus D2 is to be operated by Australian-based Optus, enabling the
development of new business opportunities for the direct-to-home market,
new data services and services bundling. This is the second satellite in
Optus' D-series fleet - the first of which was orbited by an Ariane 5 in
October 2006.
With a liftoff mass of approximately 2,350 kg., the Optus D2 platform will
generate 3.8 kilowatts of payload power to service its 24 active transponders.
The satellite is to be positioned at 152 deg. E, and has a mission design lifetime
of 15 years.
The Ariane 5 mission with Optus D2 is scheduled for the end of September.

Successful launch of the Chinasat 6B telecommunication satellite
July 5, 2007
The Chinasat 6B telecommunication satellite, was successfully boosted into orbit today from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in southwest China's Sichuan Province by a Long March 3B rocket. Chinasat 6B will enable ChinaSatcom to offer communication and broadcast capabilities to the Chinese market.
Based on the Thales Alenia Space Spacebus 4000 C2 platform, the satellite will be located at 115.5 degree East. Designed with a lifetime of more than 15 years, the Chinasat 6B satellite has 38 C-band transponders, a launch mass of 4.5 tons and will deliver 9.5 kW of electrical power. Thales Alenia Space has assisted ChinaSatcom for the launch campaign, and will support the company for orbital positioning and in-orbit tests.
Dedicated to television broadcasting, this satellite will enable ChinaSatcom to expand its services in China, allowing easy reception of up to 300 television programs across China, south east Asia, the Pacific and Oceania.
Chinasat 6B was the second contract awarded by ChinaSatcom to Thales Alenia Space, after Chinasat 9. It is also the fourth satellite contract* signed with a Chinese operator, strengthening Thales Alenia Space long standing partnership with China in telecom satellite domain.

Indosat appoints Thales Alenia Space as the partner to build and launch Palapa-D satellite
June 29, 2007
PT Indosat Tbk, appointed Thales Alenia Space to build and launch the Palapa-D satellite. Palapa-D, which launch is expected during second half 2009, will replace Palapa-C2 satellite which will expired in 2011 placed in slot 113º BT.
Based on Thales Alenia Space Spacebus 4000B3 platform, Palapa-D satellite will have larger capacity compared to Palapa-C2 satellite of which it has 24 standard C-band, 11 extended C-Band and 5 Ku-band transponders, with coverage of Indonesia, ASEAN countries, Asian countries, Middle East and Australia. Palapa-D satellite will have a launch mass of 4.1 tons, a payload power of 6 kW and service life time of 15 years.
“The launch of Palapa-D satellite strongly shows our commitment to Indonesian telecommunication industry to provide the best and continuation services to customers who use our satellite service including TV broadcasters, VSAT providers and other corporate customers. Likewise to Palapa-C2 satellite, we will use Palapa-D satellite as the backbone to support other Indosat services, such as cellular, fixed voice telecommunications and fixed data services”, said Johnny Swandi Sjam, President Director of PT Indosat.
Indosat appointed Thales Alenia Space to build and launch Palapa-D satellite through a tender process in which Indosat invited several potential experienced manufacturers from domestic and international. Indosat based the appointment of Thales Alenia Space on its capability to meet Indosat’s requirements and its ability to provide competitive and comprehensive communications solutions. Indosat and Thales Alenia Space have jointly selected Long March 3B as the launch vehicle for the Palapa-D satellite.
Pascale Sourisse, President and CEO of Thales Alenia Space, added, “We are delighted to have been selected by INDOSAT for the construction and launch of Palapa-D. We have been involved from the early stages of the procurement process to define and offer Indosat an attractive technical and business proposal. I am very pleased that Indosat acknowledged our dedication and would like to assure them of our full commitment to the successful completion of this program.”
“The cost of building and launching Palapa-D project is between US$200 - US$300 million. Indosat will finance this Palapa-D satellite with company’s internal and external resources”, added Johnny. The cost covers the development of the satellite, the launching cost, the launching insurance cost, Augmentation of Master Control Station and training for Indosat staffs.
“Today signing event, which was attended by the Minister of Communications and Informatics, members of the house of representatives and members of the Indonesian Telecommunications Regulatory Body, is the cornerstone for Indosat in the operation of satellite considering that Indosat started its businesses 40 years ago as the international telecommunication service provider with the use of satellite technology and also Indosat has operated Palapa-C2 Satellite since 1996”, added Johnny.

SAT-GE, a new company, to offer satellite capacity across the Pacific Singapore
June 18, 2007.
GE International Holdings Inc., a holding company for the satellite businesses of General Electric Company, is now engaged in business in Asia under the name of SAT-GE. SAT-GE offers unparalleled satellite capacity across the Pacific region using the GE-23 satellite (former name AMC-23). GE-23 encompasses 6 individual beams, 5 Ku-band and 1 C-band, that give almost total coverage of both land mass and ocean from Perth in Australia to Los Angeles in the USA and from Alaska to South New Zealand. GE-23 offers Ku-band cross connectivity capability between multiple beams and in C-band, a single trans-Pacific beam allows simultaneous uplink and downlink from anywhere within the beam. Manufactured by Alcatel Space, a series 4100 spacecraft, with a minimum useful life of 15 years, GE-23 was launched on the 29th of December 2005 and operates from an orbital slot at 172 degrees east. It is ideally positioned to deliver internet applications, data and telecommunications services via VSAT and broadcast programming for cable and satellite communities. GE-23 is the renamed AMC-23 satellite, which was recently transferred from SES to GE following the closing of a broader transaction between GE and SES.

Optus invests in a third D-series satellite for Australia and New Zealand
29 Mar 2007
Optus announced today it would further expand its satellite fleet providing services to Australia and New Zealand by launching the third D-series satellite. The new satellite will increase Optus' fleet capacity by more than 30 percent. Paul O'Sullivan, Chief Executive of Optus, said the deal showed Optus' continued investment and commitment to provide the infrastructure to deliver state-of-the-art services via satellite across Australia and New Zealand. "This announcement is another example of Optus making a substantial investment to increase Australia's communications capability. Optus' satellite fleet delivers a unique communications capability for Australia and New Zealand which no other telecommunications company in Australia can match." "The decision to build a third D-series satellite follows continued demand for access, especially for television broadcast services, with icon companies such as FOXTEL signing up for additional services on the new Optus D3 satellite," Mr O'Sullivan said. Kim Williams, FOXTEL Chief Executive, said that as the customer demand for FOXTEL services continues to grow, this deal with Optus will provide the platform for subscription television services in Australia for the next decade and beyond. “Optus' D3 satellite provides capacity for FOXTEL to deliver new services to our customers on our direct-to-home satellite platform including high definition content," Mr Williams said. Orbital Sciences Corporation of the United States , the manufacturer of the Optus D1 and D2 satellites, was confirmed as the manufacturer of the Optus D3 satellite. Paul Sheridan , Head of Optus Satellite, said Optus has been leading the way in satellite-based communication services in Australia for over 20 years. "This additional satellite cements Optus' position as the industry leader, as the business goes from strength to strength with one of the youngest satellite fleets in operation. “With three D-series Satellites we will be well placed to meet the demand for fixed and broadcast satellite services, which is growing ahead of our earlier expectations. “Optus is positioned to provide additional services to all our satellite customers; growth opportunities to the ethnic services broadcast sector; and additional in-orbit redundancy for customers out to the year 2020 and beyond," he said. The Optus D3 satellite is planned to be delivered in 2009. The new satellite will increase Optus' overall investment in the D-series satellite program to over A$600 million.Optus launched the first of the D-series satellites by Arianespace from French Guiana South America in October 2006. The Optus D2 satellite is planned to be launched in late 2007 by Arianespace from French Guiana , South America . The Optus D2 satellite will provide for continuity of service and growth for Optus B3 customers as that satellite comes to the end of its useful life. The Optus D-series satellites deliver direct-to-home television and high definition television, broadband and VSAT services.

Awarded Contract For Commercial Communications Satellite By SES NEW SKIES
Nov 21, 2006
Orbital Sciences has been selected by SES NEW SKIES of the Netherlands, to design, build and deliver the NSS-9 commercial communications satellite. This satellite will be based on Orbital's flight-proven STAR 2 platform, which will generate 2.3 kilowatts of payload power and carry 28 active transponders.
The NSS-9 satellite will be located at 183 degrees East longitude, but will also be capable of being deployed to other locations in the SES fleet. The NSS-9 satellite order is the 18th Orbital geosynchronous commercial communications satellite ordered by customers throughout the world, including the North American, European and Asia/Pacific markets.
Mr. Robert Bednarek, President and Chief Executive of SES NEW SKIES, said, "With the procurement of NSS-9 for launch in 2008, SES NEW SKIES will significantly expand its transmission capacity, in-orbit back-up and overall fleet flexibility in the best interest of our customers.
"This ongoing fleet development serves to demonstrate the long-term commitment that the SES Group brings to global satellite coverage and connectivity. We look forward to working closely with Orbital on the NSS-9 mission, and are confident that they will deliver an excellent spacecraft that matches SES' high quality standards."
The NSS-9 is the second order placed in 2006 by an SES GLOBAL member company for satellites based on Orbital's STAR platform. Earlier this year, Orbital teamed with Alcatel Alenia Space to supply the STAR bus and perform systems integration for SES AMERICOM's AMC-21 satellite.
"Our entire team is extremely excited about this new contract win with another of the SES GLOBAL family of satellite service companies," said Dr. Ali Atia, head of Orbital's geosynchronous satellite unit. "With the NSS-9 order, Orbital's STAR-based satellite has once again shown that it is the world's 'platform of choice' for reliable, high-performance spacecraft in the sub-five kilowatt power class."