Hot on the heels of winning the $148 million contract to build the Koreasat 5 satellite, Alcatel Space has won a $150 million contract to build the first Rascom communications satellite.
The Regional African Satellite Communications Organisation, representing 44 of the continent's telcommunications operators, will place Rascom 1 into a 2.9°E location in geostationary orbit after launch in 2006. A launch vehicle has not yet been selected.
The spacecraft will be based on Alcatel's proven Spacebus 3000B3 platform, equipped with 12 Ku and 8 C-band transponders. It will serve more than 300,000 African villages, as well as traditional business users.
Source: Flight Daily News
