Posted: Thu, Mar 24, 2005, 7:23 AM ET (1223 GMT)
SES Americom announced Wednesday that it had awarded a satellite manufacturing contract to Lockheed Martin and a launch contract to Arianespace for a relatively small communications satellite. SES awarded the contracts for AMC-18, a satellite that will be used to provide cable television services for the US and the Caribbean. Lockheed Martin will use a small version of its A2100 satellite bus for the spacecraft, which will carry 24 C-band transponders. Arianespace will launch the 2,300-kg spacecraft on an Ariane 5 in the second half of 2006. Terms of the contracts, announced in conjunction with the Satellite 2005 conference in Washington, were not disclosed.

Related Links:

•  Lockheed Martin press release
•  Arianespace press release