26 June 2013
Built by Thales Alenia Space, prime contractor for first 12 satellites in the constellation
Cannes, June 25, 2013 The first four satellites in the O3b medium Earth orbit constellation were successfully launched today by Arianespace for operator O3b Networks, using a Soyuz rocket from the Guiana Space Center in French Guiana. The second batch of four satellites will also be launched this year, and the third batch in the first half of 2014.
Positioned at an altitude of 8,062 kilometers along the Equator, about four times closer to the Earth than geostationary satellites, these Ka-band satellites will provide telecommunications services and Internet connectivity combining high speed, low cost and reduced latency for emerging markets in Asia, Africa and the Middle East. O3b Networks will provide telecom operators with trunking capacity and connectivity for mobile networks, at broadband speeds comparable to those offered by fiber-optic networks.
We are very pleased with the success of this first launch, alongside O3b Networks and Arianespace, said Nathalie Smirnov, Director of Telecommunications at Thales Alenia Space. It marks a major step forward in the development of O3b Networks, and is also a very concrete initiative to reduce the digital divide. Everybody at our company is obviously fully mobilized to prepare for the two remaining launches.
O3b satellites are located in a so-called repeating Equatorial orbit, enabling a given ground station to see the same satellite every six hours which considerably simplifies satellite architecture. Weighing 700 kg at launch, each O3b satellite is based on a platform offering 1.5 kW of power. The payload comprises 12 mobile antennas and 10 Ka-band transponders.
Thales Alenia Space has received orders for a total of 117 satellites in constellations (12 O3b, 81 Iridium NEXT and 24 Globalstar Second Generation), making it the worlds leading producer for telecom constellations in medium and low Earth orbit.
Drawing on this expertise, unrivaled worldwide, Thales Alenia Space is now marketing the new EliteBus platform, already validated in orbit. EliteBus is designed for enhanced cost competitiveness, based on efficient volume production and supply chain management. In addition to telecommunications applications, EliteBus can meet requirements for Earth observation, navigation and other civil and defense missions.
About Thales Alenia Space
The European leader in satellite systems and a major player in orbital infrastructures, Thales Alenia Space is a joint venture between Thales (67%) and Finmeccanica (33%). Thales Alenia Space and Telespazio embody the two groups' Space Alliance . Thales Alenia Space sets the global standard in solutions for space telecommunications, radar and optical Earth observation, defense and security, navigation and science. With consolidated revenues of 2.1 billion euros in 2012, Thales Alenia Space has 7,500 employees in France, Italy, Spain, Germany, Belgium and United States.
www.thalesaleniaspace.com
Thales Alenia Space Press Contacts:
Sandrine Bielecki - Tel: +33 (0)4 92 92 70 94
sandrine.bielecki@thalesaleniaspace.com
Tarik Lahlou - Tel: +33 (0)4 92 92 68 45
tarik.lahlou@thalesaleniaspace.com
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26 June 2013
