Posted: Thu, Feb 5, 2009, 5:34 AM ET (1034 GMT)
Arabsat announced manufacturing and launch contracts Wednesday for a pair of communications satellites. A consortium of EADS Astrium and Thales Alenia Space will build the Arabsat 5C and Arabsat 6B satellites, with Astrium building the Eurostar E3000 satellite buses and Thales Alenia providing the communications payloads. Arabsat 5C will carry a payload of C- and Ka-band transponders and will operate from 20 degrees east in GEO, while Arabsat 6B will carry a Ku-band payload and operate from 26 degrees east. Both spacecraft, each weighing no more than 5,000 kilograms, will be launched by Arianespace, with 5C scheduled for launch in the third quarter of 2011 and 6B in the second half of 2012. The awards come one day after Arianespace announced it would launch Hispasat 1E for Spanish operator Hispasat in late 2010.

Related Links:

•  Space News article (subscription required)
•  EADS Astrium press release
•  Arianespace press release about Arabsat launches
•  Arianespace press release about Hispasat launch