Space Systems/Loral Awarded Contract To Build High-Power Satellite For SES New Skies

NSS-12 Will Enable Communications Services for Telecommunications Providers, Broadcasters, Corporations and Governments around the World

PALO ALTO, Calif.– Space Systems/Loral (SS/L), a subsidiary of Loral Space & Communications (NASDAQ: LORL) and the world’s leading provider of high-power commercial satellites, today announced that it has been awarded a contract to manufacture a new spacecraft for SES NEW SKIES, a subsidiary of SES Global (Euronext Paris and Luxembourg Stock Exchange: SESG). NSS-12 will be used to enable communications services for telecommunications providers, broadcasters, corporations and governments in Europe, Africa, the Middle East, India and other parts of Asia.


NSS-12 is the first satellite contract that SES NEW SKIES has awarded to SS/L. The spacecraft is a state-of-the-art, hybrid C- and Ku-band satellite that will be located at 57º East Longitude over the Indian Ocean Region. Based on SS/L’s highly reliable and space-proven 1300 spacecraft, it will be equipped with 40 C-band and 48 Ku-band active high-power transponders (36 MHz equivalents) to help maintain and increase the capability of the company’s worldwide satellite communications network.

“The proven performance of the Space Systems/Loral’s 1300 spacecraft bus along with the commitment of the entire organization to deliver a high quality product on time were key in our decision on this procurement,” said Robert Bednarek, president and chief executive officer of SES NEW SKIES. “We are very pleased to be working with SS/L, a leader in the space and telecommunications industry, which shares our fundamental commitment to high quality and performance.”

Planned for completion in 2009, NSS-12 is designed to have a lifespan of more than 15 years, adding to the strength and global connectivity provided by the SES Group’s fleet of more than 40 satellites. NSS-12 will become the second SS/L satellite in the SES NEW SKIES fleet, joining NSS-703, which was part of the original SES NEW SKIES fleet spun off from Intelsat in 1998.

“We’re very pleased to win our first award from SES NEW SKIES,” said John Celli, president and chief operating officer of Space Systems/Loral. “Our capabilities-based approach to satellite manufacturing means that SES NEW SKIES will benefit from many years of lessons learned and technical advances. We look forward to delivering an advanced and highly capable satellite that will provide critical communications services for many years.”