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Astrium Satellites delivers ARABSAT's BADR-4 in orbit ASTRIUM NEWS RELEASE Posted: December 5, 2006 The BADR-4 satellite built by Astrium Satellites has been handed over to ARABSAT as part of the in-orbit delivery contract and has entered commercial service. The BADR-4 satellite, built by Astrium Satellites for ARABSAT, the communications satellite operator based in Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, will carry Direct-To-Home television services, together with voice and data telecommunications services, across the entire Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, as well as parts of Europe. The Astrium control centre in Toulouse began operating the BADR-4 satellite following its launch from Baikonur on 9 November 2006. The satellite arrived in geostationary orbit on 13 November, where it was comprehensively tested to ensure that all spacecraft functions were performing as expected. ARABSAT officially took possession of the fully operational satellite on 30 November, just three weeks after the launch. The entry into commercial service of the first of its 4th generation satellites at ARABSAT's 26 degrees East video 'hot spot' represents the realisation of a critical primary milestone in the regional leading operator's new aggressive deployment strategy over the MENA markets, and well beyond, for the forthcoming 20 years. Astrium Satellites is prime contractor for the satellite and responsible for launch and early operations as part of the in-orbit delivery contract. Astrium has also developed the Satellite Control Centres in Dirab (Kingdom of Saudi Arabia) and in Tunis (Tunisia). The communications payload for the satellite was supplied by Alcatel Alenia Space. The BADR-4 satellite is a Eurostar E2000+ model with a launch mass of 3,280 kg, equipped with a payload featuring 32 transponders in Ku-band. It is the 31st Eurostar to enter operational service in orbit. About Astrium Satellites Astrium Satellites, a business unit of Astrium, is Europe's leading satellite system specialist. Its activities cover complete civil and military telecommunications and Earth observation systems, science and navigation programmes, and all spacecraft avionics and equipment. Astrium, a wholly owned subsidiary of EADS, is dedicated to providing civil and defence space systems. In 2005, Astrium had a turnover of 2.7 billion and 11,000 employees in France, Germany, the United Kingdom, Spain and the Netherlands. EADS is a global leader in aerospace, defence and related services. In 2005, EADS generated revenues of 34.2 billion and employed a workforce of more than 113,000. About ARABSAT Backed by the 21 member countries of the Arab League, and with its 30-year heritage of continuous operations, Arabsat offers the Arab world an unrivalled range of satellite-based communications services such as Direct-to-Home Television and Radio, telephony, Internet and direct Broadband access, as well as the provision of VSATs and other interactive services that meet both current and emerging demands. Now ranked as the world's 9th largest Satellite Operator, Arabsat is committed to keep aggressively expanding its services in order to meet the evolving needs of its customers. Its vision is to consolidate its long-standing leading regional position as the pioneer of satellite communications throughout the Arab world by delivering an unparalleled level of service in the MENA region, providing quality products, employing the most skilled individuals, and remaining at the forefront of new technologies. Arabsat is the only qualified organization in the Middle East North Africa with a fully integrated fleet of satellites operating on most frequency bands and encompassing within a single beam the whole region from Morocco to the Gulf and a large part of sub-Saharan Africa. |
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