[SatNews] There could be as many as five launches by the Company for Intelsat...

Sea Launch will launch the Intelsat 19 communications satellite in early 2012, the first of up to as many as five missions on the Sea Launch system for Intelsat LLC under a previously announced multiple launch services contract. Built by Space Systems/Loral, the 1300-series Intelsat 19 satellite will be located at 166 degrees East longitude as part of Intelsat’s on-going fleet investment program. This new satellite will replace Intelsat 8, a leading video neighborhood providing distribution to cable headends across the Asia-Pacific region and reaching more than 37 million pay-TV subscribers around the Pacific Rim.

Designed for 15 years of service, Intelsat 19’s C-band capacity will provide enhanced distribution of content throughout Asia-Pacific, with reach to the western United States. The increased Ku-band capacity, optimized to distribute services to Australia, will support mobility and enterprise network applications across the Asia-Pacific region. Intelsat 19 is the first of four Intelsat satellites to feature a mobility beam that supports broadband maritime applications.  In total, the four satellites will deploy seven Ku-band mobility beams which will result in seamless broadband coverage in support of global shipping, oil and gas, and other maritime requirements.

“This is a significant award for Sea Launch. The launch of Intelsat 19 will represent our next strategic advance following the successful return to launch operations on both the Sea Launch and Land Launch systems in the coming weeks,” said Kjell Karlsen, president of Sea Launch. “Signing with an industry leader like Intelsat validates our customer-focused approach. We look forward to working even closer with the Intelsat and Space Systems/Loral teams in the months ahead.”