The Intelsat organisation has selected Loral to build two high-powered, high-capacity, satellites for the follow-on series (FOS) 2 programme. The $600 million contract, which includes options for further craft, includes the launch in 2000 of the two satellites into orbital positions over the Indian Ocean. The FOS 2 craft will have 44 C-band and 12 Ku-band transponders.
Loral has also been awarded a $100 million contract to build a high-power communications satellite for China Telecommunications Broadcast Satellite. Called the Chinasat 8, the craft, due to be launched in 1998, will carry 36 C-band and 16 Ku-band transponders, making it the most powerful satellite to be launched by the country. Loral is also building the Chinasat 7.
Lockheed Martin has been awarded the $108 million contract to build its third Koreasat satellite for Korea Telecom, which is cheduled to be launched in July 1999. South Korea's Daewoo Industries, Halla Heavy Industries, Hyundai Electronics and Korean Air are to be major subcontractors.
The Koreasat 1 and 2 satellites were launched in 1995/6, but the first craft lost half its projected ten-year operational lifetime in orbit after a partial failure aboard its Delta 2 launcher.
Source: Flight International
