Astrium has won a satellite manufacture order from international satellite communications consortium Intelsat. The contract is the sixth satellite order received this year by the recently established space company.
The 5,000kg (11,000lb) Intelsat X high-power communications satellite, designated 10-02, will be equipped with 45 C-band and 16 Ku-band transponders. It will be based on the Astrium Eurostar 3000 series spacecraft bus, producing electrical power of 8kW to the communications payload and other spacecraft systems.
Astrium received an order for Intelsat 10-01 in January this year and has since won contracts to build three Inmarsat-4 communications satellites and a Hot Bird 7 for the Eutelsat organisation. Two 9kW Inmarsat-4s will be launched in 2003, with a third satellite to be a ground spare. The Hot Bird 7, a Eurostar 2000 Plus spacecraft, will operate at 7.5kW power levels.
• Alcatel Space has won a contract from GE American Communications to build four Spacebus 4000-class communications satellites. The contract is believed to be worth over $570 million.
Source: Flight International
