Posted: Thu, Jun 7, 2007, 12:45 PM ET (1645 GMT)
EADS Astrium announced Wednesday that it has won a contract from Spanish satellite operator Hispasat for a new communications satellite. Amazonas-2, based on Astrium's Eurostar E3000 bus, will carry 54 Ku-band and 10 C-band transponders. The 5,400-kilogram spacecraft will be delivered in orbit at 61 degrees west in 2009. That GEO slot is currently occupied by Hispasat's Amazonas satellite, launched in 2004 but expected to be retired by 2014 because of a propellant leak. Terms of the contract were not disclosed.
