spacetoday.net: Arianespace wins two launch contracts

Posted: Thu, Jun 18, 2009, 5:42 AM ET (0942 GMT)
Ariane 5 ECA launch of Superbird-7 and AMC-21 (ESA)

Arianespace announced this week that it had won two contracts to launch communications satellites for Asian companies. Arianespace will launch the ABS-2 satellite for Hong Kong-based Asia Broadcast Satellite on an Ariane 5 in the first half of 2012, according to the companies. The spacecraft, expected to be built by Space Systems/Loral, will be co-located with the ABS-1 satellite at 75 degrees east in GEO. Arianespace also announced Tuesday that it won a contract to launch the ST-2 satellite, a joint venture of Singapore's SingTel and Taiwan's Chunghwa. That spacecraft, being built by Mitsubishi Electric Corporation, is scheduled for launch on an Ariane 5 in the second quarter of 2011 and will replace the existing ST-1 satellite.