Lockheed Martin has beaten Hughes, Aerospatiale and Matra Marconi Space (MMS) to win a $140 million deal to build a replacement for the Palapa B2R communications satellite operated by Indonesia's PT Telkom.
The 36-transponder spacecraft, to be called the Telkom 1, is likely to be launched by Arianespace in 1998, although a firm contract has not yet been signed.
Lockheed Martin, meanwhile, will join Spar Aerospace on a project to build a high-power direct-broadcast satellite for Canada. The 32-transponder spacecraft will be launched in 1998. The total project cost will be about $220 million.
MMS will build the second Orion communications satellite for Orion Network Systems. The Orion 2, like the MMS-built Orion 1, will be stationed over the Atlantic and will be launched in July 1999. Hughes won the Orion 3 Pacific satellite contract.
Source: Flight International