Space Systems/Loral (SS/L), a subsidiary of Loral Space & Communications [Nasdaq:LORL] today announced that it shipped Telstar 11N to the Baikonur Space Center in Kazakhstan, where it will be launched on the Land Launch system. Artist's Rendering: Telstar 11N is a powerful Ku-band satellite being built for Telesat, the world’s fourth largest fixed satellite services operator. Telstar 11N will connect three continents: North America, Western Europe and Africa. In addition, its unique Atlantic Ocean beam will support growing demand for mobile broadband from maritime and aeronautical markets. The reach of Telstar 11N across the Atlantic will meet the needs of commercial and government customers seeking solutions for IP networking and transport of video content. The satellite will be equipped with 39 active Ku-band transponders, a portion of which can be switched to meet changing market demand over the satellite’s 15-year design life.

Space Systems/Loral designed the satellite, which was built for Telesat, a fixed satellite services operator, to provide commercial and government customers with high powered, state-of-the-art satellite capacity for a broad range of video and data applications. Following its launch next month, Telstar 11N will operate from 37.5° West Longitude and will connect three continents: North America, Western Europe and Africa. It also has a unique Atlantic Ocean beam, which will support growing demand for mobile broadband from maritime and aeronautical markets.

"As the first Space Systems/Loral-built satellite to be shipped in 2009, Telstar 11N will make information and entertainment more accessible around the world," said John Celli, President and Chief Operating Officer of Space Systems/Loral. "This marks the beginning of a year that we expect will be very robust for delivering completed satellites to our customers." With 39 high-power Ku-band transponders, Telstar 11N is based on the Space Systems/Loral 1300 satellite platform which provides flexibility for a broad range of applications.