ILS Proton Ready for Wednesday Launch of Arabsat 4A

BAIKONUR COSMODROME, Kazakhstan, Feb. 28, 2006/Satnews Daily/ — International Launch Services is now in final preparation for the Wednesday launch of Arabsat 4A, a Eurostar E2000+ satellite built by EADS Astrium for the Arab Satellite Communications Organization (Arabsat) at Baikonur, Khazakstan.

The Proton vehicle of International Launch Services is scheduled for lift off on February 28 at 20:10 GMT (2:10 a.m. on March 1, Baikonur time).

The Arabsat 4A satellite is a Eurostar E2000+ model equipped with a payload featuring 24 transponders in C-band and 20 transponders in Ku-band. With a launch mass of about 3,350 kg, it will be the thirtieth Eurostar to orbit.

Arabsat 4A is the first of two spacecraft built by EADS Astrium for Arabsat, the communications satellite operator based in Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Once in service, Arabsat 4A will offer a wide range of satellite communications services with the highest power level and the widest coverage over the Arab countries.

EADS Astrium said the Arabsat 4A satellite was assembled at the company’s facilities in Toulouse, France and successfully passed its shipment review on Dec. 22, 2005. It was shipped to Baikonur on Jan. 24, 2006. The fully fuelled spacecraft is now mated with the Breeze M upper stage and the Proton Breeze M vehicle.

The second spacecraft, Arabsat 4B, is currently in the final assembly stage and will by launched later this year.

EADS Astrium is prime contractor for the satellites and responsible for launch and early operations as part of an in-orbit delivery contract. EADS Astrium has also developed the

Satellite Control Centers in Dirab (Kingdom of Saudi Arabia) and in Tunis (Tunisia) to control the Arabsat satellite fleet. The communications payloads for the Arabsat 4 satellites have been supplied by Alcatel Alenia Space.

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