Posted: Thu, Jan 1, 2009, 10:00 AM ET (1500 GMT)
Space Systems/Loral (SS/L) revealed Wednesday that the previously-unannounced customer of one of its communications satellites is Intelsat. SS/L will build the Intelsat 17 spacecraft for Intelsat for delivery in 2010. The spacecraft is a 1300-series spacecraft with a payload of C- and Ku-band transponders. It will operate from 66 degrees east in GEO, replacing the existing Intelsat 704 spacecraft there. The contract was originally announced in October, but at the time SS/L did not reveal the name of the customer, only that it was "one of the world's premier satellite operators".

Related Links:

•  AP article
•  Space Systems/Loral press release