Tim Furniss/LONDON
Orbital Sciences (OSC) has been selected to negotiate a contract to build two Ka-band direct-to-home broadcast communications satellites for the Japanese Broadcasting Satellite System, an affiliate of the NHK network.
The BSAT 2A and 2B satellites will be based on OSC's NovaStar lightweight geostationary orbit (GEO) satellite platform. The 2kW satellites will be launched in late 2000 and spring 2001 and will operate from 110°E in geostationary orbit.
"The contract for the NovaStar small spacecraft system is an important part of our future growth outlook," says Robert Lovell, manager of the company's space systems group. The satellites, with a dry weight of 550kg, will be equipped with a Loral communications payload and will be launched by Ariane boosters, under contract to OSC.
The launches, to be confirmed by Arianespace, would bring to 39 the number of satellites on the launcher company's orderbook. Broadcasting Satellite's BSAT 1A and 1B have already been launched on Ariane 4s.
OSC has also announced that its subsidiary Orbital Imaging has won a $100 million contract from the US National Imagery and Mapping Agency to supply a "significant quantity" of high resolution imagery from its Orbview 3 and 4 satellites to be launched in 1999 and 2000.
Source: Flight International
