Arianespace to Launch Star One C2 satellite for Brazil Telecoms Operator

EVRY, Feb. 14/Satnews Daily/ — Arianespace announced on Saturday it has signed the Star One C2 satellite launch contract for Brazilian operator Star One. The satellite will be orbited in 2007 by an Ariane 5 from the Guiana Space Center, Europe's Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana.
 

Star One C2 is the eighth Brazilian satellite to be booked for launch on Ariane, following six Brasilsat satellites and Star One C1 - which is slated for launch in 2006. Star One is the largest regional satellite service operator in Latin America.

The Star One C2 satellite is being built by Alcatel Space at its Cannes and Toulouse facilities using a Spacebus 3000B3 platform. Weighing about 4,100 kg. at liftoff, it will be placed in geostationary orbit at 65 degrees West. It will be fitted with 45 C-, Ku- and X-band transponders to handle both direct TV broadcasts for South America and international and domestic long-distance telephony for Brazil and Mexico.

Arianespace CEO Jean-Yves Le Gall said with the contract, Arianespace now has a backlog of 40 spacecraft to be launched: 35 on Ariane 5 (including nine ATV missions to the International Space Station), three with Soyuz at the Guiana Space Center and two for Soyuz from Baikonur. Its Starsem subsidiary has a backlog of five satellites to be launched.

He announced the next Ariane 5 launch for April 14, which will carry the French Syracuse 3A military telecommunications satellite and Indonesia's Telkom 2 telecom spacecraft. This upcoming mission will use an Ariane 5 Generic launcher version.

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