[SatNews] Final assembly lies just ahead...

The Alphasat I-XL communications module was today mated with the Alphabus platform, enabling the huge satellite to take shape and enter its final assembly and test phase at the Astrium facilities in Toulouse, France. Built by Astrium for European operator Inmarsat, Alphasat I-XL carries a new generation of advanced geomobile communications payload in L-band that will augment Inmarsat’s Broadband Global Area Network (BGAN) service, enabling communications across Europe, Asia, Africa and the Middle East with increased capacity. Alphasat I-XL features a new generation digital signal processor for the payload, and a 12 metre aperture antenna reflector. Alphasat I-XL also carries technology demonstration payloads for the European Space Agency.

Alphasat I-XL uses the protoflight model of new European Alphabus, which has been jointly developed by Astrium and Thales Alenia Space with ESA and CNES support to address the upper range of the communications satellite market. The Alphabus platform is qualified and now available on the commercial market to accommodate missions up to 18 kW of payload power, with ongoing developments to extend the range up to 22 kW. Weighing more than 6,000kg, Alphasat I-XL is planned for delivery end of 2012 and launch by Ariane 5.