An artist's concept of the Galaxy XIII/Horizons-1 satellite in orbit. Photo: BSS

PanAmSat Corporation and Japan's JSAT Corporation have selected Boeing Satellite Systems (BSS) to build a new spacecraft in support of the two companies' recent joint venture, Horizons, as well as PanAmSat's domestic U.S. cable program distribution offerings. Sea Launch's Zenit 3SL rocket was selected to loft the craft in the 4th Quarter of 2002.

From its orbital slot at 127 degrees west longitude, between the Hawaiian Islands and the U.S. West Coast, the new Boeing 601HP satellite will have coverage over North America, Central America, Alaska and Hawaii. The spacecraft will carry a total of 48 active transponders, 24 in Ku-band and 24 in C-band. Financial terms were not disclosed.

The spacecraft's Ku-band payload, which will be known as Horizons-1, is being constructed for the Horizons partnership and will be jointly owned by PanAmSat and JSAT. It will be used to offer a variety of digital video, Internet and data services. Using a Hawaii-based relay station, the satellite's Ku-band payload also will be able to deliver content and services between the United States and Asia.

The C-band portion of the new spacecraft will be known as Galaxy XIII and will be operated separately as part of PanAmSat's Galaxy cable neighborhood, which serves the domestic U.S. cable industry. Galaxy XIII will be used to replace capacity on Galaxy IX, which is a Boeing 376 model that will move to a new orbital position and continue to provide services.

"Boeing is proud to provide PanAmSat and JSAT with a satellite that will support this unique multinational joint venture," said Randy Brinkley, president of BSS. "We are equally proud of our service to PanAmSat in a longstanding relationship that has a solid future. In addition to this latest order, we are also building Galaxy IIIC for PanAmSat, scheduled to launch in 2002. We value the trust PanAmSat places in us as a supplier of leading-edge technology that enables our customer to expand its business across the globe."

Horizons-1's 24 Ku-band transponders will each be powered by 108-watt linear traveling wave tube amplifiers (LTWTAs). Galaxy XIII's 24 C-band transponders will each be powered by 40-watt LTWTAs. The spacecraft's solar wings will feature dual-junction gallium arsenide solar cells manufactured by Spectrolab, Inc., a Boeing subsidiary. These cells will deliver 9.9 kW of power at the beginning of the satellite's 15-year design life.

The Boeing 601 satellite is the world's best-selling large satellite model. This latest procurement is the 83rd Boeing 601 spacecraft ordered since the model was introduced in 1987.

File image of a Zenit 3SL rocket lifting off from floating launch platform in Pacific Ocean. Photo: Sea Launch

PanAmSat exercised a launch option with Sea Launch for the mission.

"We are very pleased to announce this agreement today," said Will Trafton, president and general manager of Sea Launch, who made the announcement in Paris while speaking to a gathering of industry attendees at Satellite 2001 Europe. "This strengthens an already solid relationship between PanAmSat and Sea Launch and also demonstrates Sea Launch's growing market position."

"Sea Launch successfully launched PAS-9 in July 2000, which currently broadcasts programming from top international broadcasters and cable programmers to cable systems and satellite TV households throughout the Americas," said Robert A. Bednarek, PanAmSat's executive vice president and chief technology officer. "In addition to our planned launch of Galaxy IIIC next year aboard Sea Launch, this additional agreement further demonstrates our confidence in their capabilities."

From its equatorial launch site at 154 degrees West Longitude, the Sea Launch rocket will lift Galaxy XIII/Horizons-1 to a lofted perigee geosynchronous transfer orbit on its way to a final orbital position at 127 degrees West Longitude. While it is designed for a 15-year lifespan, Sea Launch's direct insertion into equatorial orbit is expected to yield additional years of service.

Sea Launch Company, LLC, based in Long Beach, Calif., provides reliable, cost effective, heavy lift launch services for commercial satellite customers. The international partnership includes the Boeing Commercial Space Company (U.S.), the Anglo-Norwegian Kvaerner Group (Norway), RSC Energia (Russia) and SDO Yuzhnoye/PO Yuzhmash (Ukraine). Established in 1995, Sea Launch has completed six highly successful missions and has a current backlog of 17 firm launch contracts. As the world's only services provider launching from the Equator, Sea Launch offers the optimal starting point for spacecraft heading for geostationary orbit.

PanAmSat Corporation is the premier provider of global video and data broadcasting services via satellite. Operating a global network of 21 in-orbit spacecraft and seven technical facilities, the company delivers entertainment and information to cable television systems, TV broadcast affiliates, direct-to-home TV operators, Internet service providers, telecommunications companies and corporations worldwide. PanAmSat is 81 percent owned by HUGHES Electronics Corporation.

JSAT is a leading satellite operator in the Asia-Pacific region. The company owns and operates eight satellites in seven orbital slots. JSAT provides communications and broadcasting services that offer a range of unique features made possible by satellite communications which is well suited to support the high-volume, wide-distribution, high-speed networks. Based on its corporate slogan, "JSAT, Expanding Horizons," the company is working to actively expand its business. JSAT is listed on the First Section of the Tokyo Stock Exchange.

Boeing is the world's leading manufacturer of commercial communications satellites, and is also a major provider of space systems, satellites, and payloads for national defense, science and environmental applications.

The Boeing Company is the largest aerospace company in the world and the United States' leading exporter. It is NASA's largest contractor and the largest manufacturer of commercial jetliners and military aircraft. The company's capabilities in aerospace also include rotorcraft, electronic and defense systems, missiles, rocket engines, launch vehicles, satellites, and advanced information and communication systems. The company has an extensive global reach with customers in 145 countries.