US-based commercial satellite manufacturer Space Systems Loral (SSL) has been chosen to provide a high-power communications satellite for Intelsat.
The Intelsat 39 high-power communications satellite will offer broadband networking and video distribution services in Africa, Europe, Middle East and Asia. It will replace the existing Intelsat 902 satellite, which was also built by SSL and launched in 2001.
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SSL president John Celli said: "Intelsat 902 was part of a series of seven satellites that introduced new capabilities, which became a standard for future versions of the 1300 platform.
"Now, we look forward to collaborating on next-generation advances for Intelsat 39."
Intelsat 39 will be equipped with both C-band and Ku-band transponders, and once launched, be placed at an orbital position of 62° East longitude.
Intelsat currently operates a constellation of satellites and provides high-quality, cost-effective video and broadband services worldwide.
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By GlobalDataIntelsat executive vice-president and chief technology officer Thierry Guillemin said: "Intelsat’s globalised network is an interoperable fleet comprised high-throughput, spot beam and wide beam capacity, which we will continue to enhance and optimise based upon customer applications at particular orbital locations.
"Working closely with SSL on Intelsat 39, we are incorporating the right combination of beams to support a diverse array of applications for media, government, and network services customers."
The Intelsat 39 will be built on the SSL 1300 platform, which supports a range of applications and technology advances, including electric propulsion. The satellite expects to use both electric and chemical propulsion for orbit raising and will be operated with all-electric propulsion on orbit.
Last month, SSL won a contract from Telesat to assemble a prototype Ka-band satellite, which would be launched into low earth orbit (LEO) next year as part of the test and demonstration phase for a global constellation that Telesat is now designing.
