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ILS Proton rocket picked to launch SIRIUS 4 satellite ILS NEWS RELEASE Posted: May 4, 2005 Nordic Satellite AB (NSAB) announced today that the launch of its SIRIUS 4 satellite will be on a Proton Breeze M booster provided by International Launch Services (ILS). Terms of the contract remain confidential. NSAB is 75 percent owned by SES ASTRA, an SES GLOBAL company and 25 percent owned by SSC (Swedish Space Corp.). The SIRIUS 4 procurement and launch mission are being managed by SES ASTRA on behalf of NSAB. The contract calls for a launch on board the Proton vehicle from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan in the second quarter of 2007. The high-powered SIRIUS 4 spacecraft, which will feature 52 Ku-band transponders, as well as a 2-transponder Ka-band payload, is currently under construction with Lockheed Martin Commercial Space Systems (LMCSS) for operation at NSAB's orbital position of 5 degrees East. ILS is a joint venture of Lockheed Martin (NYSE:LMT) of Bethesda, Md., and Khrunichev State Research and Production Space Center of Russia - the builder of the Proton vehicle. Mark Albrecht, President of ILS, stated: "We are most delighted to have NSAB join the long list of international satellite operators that have selected ILS and Proton to provide their launch services. We look forward to working with the NSAB team, which includes SES ASTRA and Lockheed Martin Commercial Space Systems, on this program. We are also pleased to again work with the SES GLOBAL family of companies. With SIRIUS 4, ILS has launched or has contracts to launch for 15 satellites for the SES GLOBAL companies." Per Norman, General Manager of NSAB, said: "SIRIUS 4's advanced broadcasting capabilities and extensive reach into the Nordic, Baltic and Eastern European markets as well as sub-Saharan Africa will further complement the SES satellite fleet covering Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Given Proton's impressive track record of successful launches for 12 satellites in the SES fleet, we are very comfortable to entrust ILS with this important launch mission." About SIRIUS 4: Multi-mission European and African coverage The first mission of SIRIUS 4 will be to provide replacement capacity for NSAB's existing SIRIUS 2 and SIRIUS 3 satellites in the Nordic and Baltic markets as well as to enhance coverage in Eastern Europe and Russia. This mission is supported by 46 active Ku-band transponders in the BSS and FSS frequency bands. As a second mission SIRIUS 4 will provide one wide-beam Ka-band transponder for interactive applications in Scandinavia and the Baltic States. The third mission of SIRIUS 4 will be to provide a sub-Saharan Africa beam complementing existing (ASTRA 2B) or upcoming (ASTRA 4A) African coverage within the SES GLOBAL fleet. This mission will be supported by a payload consisting of 6 active Ku-band transponders and an additional Ka-band transponder for inter-connections between Africa and Europe. Nordic Satellite AB (NSAB-SIRIUS) owns and operates satellites in the SIRIUS system (SIRIUS 2 and 3). SIRIUS is a leading satellite system that offers cost-effective solutions for TV and radio broadcasts and broadband services in the Nordic and Baltic regions and in Central and Eastern Europe. The satellites are positioned at 5 degrees East and offer extremely reliable connections throughout Europe. ILS is the global leader in launch services, offering the industry's two best launch systems: the Proton and the Lockheed Martin-built Atlas. With a remarkable launch rate of 73 missions since 2000, the Atlas and Proton launch vehicles have consistently demonstrated the reliability and flexibility that have made them preferred choice among satellite operators worldwide. Since the beginning of 2003, ILS has signed more new commercial contracts than all of its competitors combined. ILS was formed in 1995, and is based in McLean, Va., a suburb of Washington, D.C. The ASTRA Satellite System is the leading Direct-to-Home (DTH) satellite system in Europe, delivering services to more than 102 million Direct-to-Home and cable households. The ASTRA satellite fleet currently comprises 12 satellites, transmitting in excess of 1400 analogue and digital television and radio channels as well as multimedia and Internet services. ASTRA's two prime orbital positions for DTH services are 19.2 degrees East and 28.2 degrees East. Professional services such as Direct-to cable (DTC), Satellite Newsgathering (SNG) and Occasional Use are offered from the orbital position of 23.5 degrees East. SES ASTRA is an SES GLOBAL company (Euronext Paris and Luxembourg Stock Exchange:SESG). SES GLOBAL wholly owns two market-leading satellite operators, SES ASTRA in Europe, and SES AMERICOM in the US. The Company also holds strategic participations in AsiaSat in Asia, Star One and Nahuelsat in Latin America, and NSAB in Europe. Americom Government Services provides network solutions and bandwidth to the US government and its contractors. SES GLOBAL can provide outstanding satellite communications solutions via a fleet of 38 satellites across the globe. In addition, SES GLOBAL is a shareholder in ORBCOMM, a provider of wireless data communications services through a low-earth orbit (LEO) satellite network, and in satellite technology company ND Satcom. SES GLOBAL is also a founding shareholder in SATLYNX which has created an unrivalled portfolio of reliable and cost-efficient two-way satellite broadband service solutions to enterprises/corporates, small office/home office (SOHO) users and local communities all over Europe. |
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