spacetoday.net: Thales Alenia wins satellite contract

Posted: Wed, Apr 25, 2007, 7:11 AM ET (1111 GMT)
Thales Alenia Space announced Tuesday that it has won a contract to build a new communications satellite for a Norwegian operator. Telenor Satellite Broadcasting has ordered the Thor 6 satellite, a Spacebus 3000B2 spacecraft, from Thales Alenia. The spacecraft will operate from 1 degree west in GEO, replacing the Thor 3 satellite, and will carry 36 Ku-band transponders. The spacecraft is scheduled to start services in mid-2009; no launch arrangements have been announced for the spacecraft, which will have a launch mass of less than three tons. The order is the first commercial satellite order for Thales Alenia since the closure of a deal earlier this month that transferred the former Alcatel Alenia Space to Thales.