Alcatel Space, Astrium and Space Systems/Loral have been awarded contracts to build five new communications satellites.
Alcatel Space will build three communications satellites for GE Americom. GE2E will be a 40 Ku-transponder Spacebus 4000 satellite to be located at 24°W in geostationary orbit (GEO) in 2003, with a GE3E to be built as back-up.
The third Alcatel satellite, a Spacebus 3000 model as yet undesignated, will be launched in 2002 providing 24 C-band and 24-Ku band transponder services from 79íW in GEO.
Alcatel is building seven satellites for GE Americom - five Spacebus 4000 spacecraft and two Spacebus 3000s - including the previously ordered GE-12, GE-14, GE-1i and GE 2-2e craft.
International Launch Services (ILS) will launch the satellites in 2002 and 2003 using two Proton boosters, with the Atlas V as a back-up vehicle to ensure in-orbit delivery dates. ILS has launched four Alcatel-built spacecraft and has six others in the backlog.
Meanwhile, Space Systems/Loral is building DirecTV's new Ku-band spacecraft, DirecTV 7S. Previous DirecTV satellites were built by Hughes Space and Communications (HSC), a sister company to DirecTV before HSC's purchase by Boeing.
Eutelsat, meanwhile, has contracted Astrium Space to build the high power W3A communications satellite, which will be equipped with 50 Ku-band and Ka-band transponders. The 4,300kg, 9kW, E3000 model satellite is the largest yet designed and ordered by Eutelsat and will be placed at 7°E in geostationary orbit after its launch in 2003.
The three satellite manufacturers are also reported to be competing to build a military communications satellite system for Spain for launch in 2003.
Source: Flight International
