Lockheed Martin Space and Strategic Missiles division and Russia's Intersputnik International have agreed an estimated $1.5 billion joint venture to establish one of the world's largest commercial communications-satellite operations.
The first satellite to be developed by the new company (Lockheed Martin Intersputnik International - to be based in London, with marketing offices in Moscow) will provide broadcast, fixed-telecommunications and very-small-aperture terminal services to Africa, Eastern Europe, South Asia and the CIS.
The satellite, called the LMI-1, is a Lockheed Martin A2100 model, and is to be launched by a Russian Proton in 1998. The spacecraft will be equipped with 44 C-band and Ku-band transponders and will be funded by Lockheed Martin.
A second-generation fleet, launched in 1999-2000, will expand services to include direct-to-home video, audio and mobile- telephone services globally, generating annual revenues of $300-500 million by 2001, the company says.
Intersputnik was established 25 years ago to provide satellite-communications services to the Soviet Union and Soviet Bloc countries. Now, with a fleet of ageing Gorizont spacecraft, it provides international, regional and domestic services. The new company will be competing primarily with Intelsat and PanAmSat.
The merger between PanAmSat and Hughes' Galaxy Satellite Services has been completed. The new company, which keeps the name PanAmSat, began operations on 23 May.
Source: Flight International