The US Export-Credit agency and loans organisation, the US Ex-Im bank, has agreed to provide a loan guarantee to $922 million of loans for the construction of three Mexsat satellites for Mexico. The three Mexsat communications satellites are being built by Boeing Space and Intelligence Systems. Orbital Sciences which is acting as a subcontractor to Boeing with the Orbital Sciences' Star 2.4 (Geostar 2) bus design being used for the satellites.
In a separate agreement, the US Ex-Im bank is also providing a direct loan of $281 million to the Australia-based firm, Jabiru Satellite Ltd, for the construction by Lochheed Martin Commercial Space Systems of the communictions satellite, Jabiru-1,and its associated ground equipment.
In June, the US Ex-Im bank received Whitehouse approval for a $125.8 million direct loan to Vietnam for the construction of a communciations satellite ,Vinasat 3, which is expected to be built by a US satellite manufacturer. Its forerunner, Vinasat 2, was built by Lockheed Martin.
Source: Flight International
