Artist's concept of a SS/Loral-built satellite in space. Photo: LORAL

In light of the increasing demand for satellite capacity in virtually all regions it serves, INTELSAT announced last week that it is buying new spacecraft and considering a number of other alternatives to ensure that appropriate capacity is available to meet customers' demands.

As part of this strategy, INTELSAT has decided to exercise options under the contract with SS/Loral for two additional INTELSAT 9 spacecraft (INTELSAT 906 and 907). The INTELSAT 906 and 907 satellites will be deployed to the Atlantic Ocean Region to meet growing demand for Internet services in the Americas and to/from the Americas to the Middle East, Africa and the Indian subcontinent.

Procurement of the INTELSAT 906 and 907 will also allow two fully station-kept satellites to be redeployed to establish new roles at the 330.5 degrees E and 178 degrees E orbital locations in the Atlantic and Pacific Ocean regions, respectively. This brings the total number of INTELSAT 9 spacecraft ordered to seven. The INTELSAT 9 satellites are the highest capacity INTELSAT satellites ever built and are designed to replace the INTELSAT 6 series satellites which were built by Hughes.

In addition, the INTELSAT Board of Governors has decided to procure one New Intelsat-Alpha (NI-Alpha) satellite. The spacecraft will be located at 310 degrees E, and will be built by Matra Marconi Space.

The NI-Alpha spacecraft will serve customers in the Atlantic Ocean Region, ensuring that appropriate capacity is available to meet increasing customer demand in the Americas and Europe. This new spacecraft will help retain and grow the existing customer base, as well as position New Intelsat (INTELSAT post-privatization) to be more commercially competitive with increased growth revenue potential.

INTELSAT owns and operates a global communications satellite system providing capacity for voice, video, corporate/private networks and Internet in more than 200 countries and territories.