An Ocean Of Research Via Satellite

The Nature Conservancy Relies on SES WORLD SKIES satellite to connect Palmyra Atoll with the world

Washington, DC - With the Central Pacific well within reach, SES WORLD SKIES, a division of SES S.A. (Euronext Paris and Luxembourg Stock Exchange: SESG), today announced that The Nature Conservancy has secured capacity on its NSS-9 satellite to link researchers studying the Palmyra reef islands with the outside world.

Located 1,000 miles south of Hawaii, remote Palmyra Atoll is a National Wildlife Refuge and part of the recently-designated Pacific Remote Islands Marine National Monument. Here, The Nature Conservancy manages the most natural marine laboratory in the world, where a consortium of scientists can study the islands, reefs, lagoons and miles of oceans surrounding Palmyra in relative comfort.

Before connecting to the world via satellite technology, Palmyra was much more isolated. SES WORLD SKIES’ satellite-delivered broadband enables world-renowned scientists from the Palmyra Atoll Research Consortium (PARC) to deliver their research findings directly from Palmyra via email and use the internet to access other research online, collaborate with colleagues, and stay in touch with family. PARC is a highly collaborative partnership of researchers, conservationists and universities conducting innovative research on everything from climate and atmospheric change, to sharks and manta rays, and coral reefs and lagoon hydrology.

The Nature Conservancy is also tapping the NSS-9 satellite to link Palmyra to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) worldwide tsunami alert system and to the Conservancy’s offices in Hawaii.

The 3-year agreement is a renewal of the original contract signed in 2006, when The Nature Conservancy and PARC scientists asked SES WORLD SKIES to provide reliable connectivity throughout one of the world’s most isolated island systems.

“Our satellite connection is the lifeblood of a vital international research operation in Palmyra,” explained Rico Gomez, Director of Internal Affairs for The Nature Conservancy in Hawaii. “The value of the reach and reliability of the satellite connectivity is immeasurable considering the long-term impact many of the island discoveries may have on our conservation efforts worldwide,” added Gomez.

“SES WORLD SKIES’ NSS-9 satellite and support team are playing a critical role in protecting island communities and exporting important new research from one of the most isolated locations in the world,” said Andrew Ruszkowski, Vice President of North America Enterprise Services for SES WORLD SKIES. “The relationship between The Nature Conservancy and SES WORLD SKIES represents the importance of science and communications without geographical limits.”

About NSS-9
Located at 183 degrees East, NSS-9 serves the Pacific Ocean Region, which is ideal for government users, broadcasters, carriers and the maritime industry. NSS-9 is an all C-band satellite featuring three beams that can be interconnected on a transponder-by-transponder basis: a global beam providing coverage of the entire earth visible from 183 degrees East, a West Hemi beam covering Australia, Indonesia, the Philippines, Japan, China, Korea and the Pacific Islands, and an East Hemi beam providing coverage and connectivity to the U.S., Hawaii and Polynesia.

About The Nature Conservancy
The Nature Conservancy is a leading conservation organization working around the world to protect ecologically important lands and waters for nature and people. To date, the Conservancy and its more than one million members have been responsible for the protection of more than 15 million acres in the United States and have helped preserve more than 102 million acres in Latin America, the Caribbean, Asia and the Pacific.

For more information about The Nature Conservancy’s Palmyra Atoll preserve, visit www.nature.org/wherewework/asiapacific/palmyra/about/.

For more information about the Palmyra Atoll Research Consortium, visit www.palmyraresearch.org.

For more information about the US Fish and Wildlife Service’s Palmyra Refuge or Marine National Monument, visit http://www.fws.gov/palmyraatoll/
or http://www.fws.gov/pacificremoteislandsmarinemonument/.

About SES WORLD SKIES
SES WORLD SKIES is the division of SES created through the combination of the former SES NEW SKIES and SES AMERICOM. The company operates a fleet of 27 satellites - part of the 44 spacecraft of the SES group - delivering services as diverse as television distribution and broadcast, internet access, data transmission and business and government communications to customers worldwide. SES WORLD SKIES currently has four additional satellites under construction. The company’s unique customer-focused approach allows it to offer the best satellite solutions for a host of business and government requirements, with a view toward helping customers meet their short-term challenges and realize their longer-term goals. SES WORLD SKIES comprises a world-class team of customer care and technical professionals located in Princeton (NJ), The Hague, Washington, D.C., Singapore, Beijing, London, Sao Paulo, Mexico City, Sydney, Accra and Johannesburg. Visit www.ses.com for more information.

About SES
SES (Euronext Paris and Luxembourg Stock Exchange: SESG) wholly owns the market-leading satellite operators SES ASTRA and SES WORLD SKIES and participations in Ciel in Canada and QuetzSat in Mexico, as well as a strategic participation in satellite infrastructure start-up O3b Networks. SES provides outstanding satellite communications solutions via a global fleet of 44 satellites. For further information: www.ses.com