NewSat has finalised a deal with Arianespace for the launch of Jabiru-1 satellite from the Guiana Space Centre, French Guiana during the fourth quarter of 2014.
The latest agreement updates the previous launch agreement signed with Arianespace on 8 December 2011.
Jabiru-1 is currently being constructed by Lockheed Martin Commercial Space Systems and is based on the A2100 platform.
Weighing 5,900kg at launch, it will carry 50 Ka-band transponders configured in a variety of multi-spot, steerable and regional beams for different applications.
With a design life of 15 years, Jabiru-1 will deliver over 7.6 GHz of capacity, providing high-powered Ka-band coverage to companies and government customers across Asia, the Middle East and eastern Africa.
Jabiru-1 is NewSat’s first geostationary communications satellite and will provide satellite capacity to customers in the oil, natural gas, mining, financial and government agencies.
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By GlobalDataThe satellite is based on Lockheed Martin’s A2100 modular design, focusing on simplified construction to offer increased on-orbit reliability and reduced weight and cost.
The A2100 design can carry a large range of communication payloads and serves as the platform for critical government communications programmes.
Australian satellite company NewSat has already signed a 15-year contract worth $180m with Malaysian-based satellite operator Measat for satellite capacity on Jabiru-1, which will be used to provide back-up services to Measat’s customer base.
NewSat is also planning to launch Jabiru-2 satellite in 2013 to offer Ku-band capacity to oil, gas, mining customers with business-grade Internet, voice, data and video communication services.
Image: Jabiru-1 satellite will be launched from the Guiana Space Centre, French Guiana during the fourth quarter of 2014. Photo: Arianespace
