Sea Launch Awarded Launch Contract for the Thuraya-3 Satellite

LONG BEACH, Calif., June 13, 2006/Satnews Daily/ ― Sea Launch has announced that a contract has been signed with Boeing Satellite Systems International (BSSI) for the launch of Thuraya-3 satellite to geosynchronous transfer orbit from Sea Launch's equatorial launch site in the Pacific Ocean on January 2007.

A Sea Launch Zenit-3SL vehicle will lift the 5250 kg (11,578 lb) Thuraya-3 satellite. Sea Launch successfully launched Thuraya-1 (Oct. 2000) and Thuraya-2 (June 2003).

Rob Peckham, president and general manager of Sea Launch, said he is delighted to welcome back BSSI and Thuraya for the Thuraya-3 mission. “This contract demonstrates Thuraya's confidence in our reliable system and dedicated team,” he said.

Boeing is designing and building the GEO-Mobile (GEM) spacecraft at its Satellite Development Center in El Segundo, Calif., for the Thuraya Satellite Telecommunications Company, to expand capacity in the Thuraya system. The design integrates a high-power satellite with a ground segment and user handsets, to provide a range of cellular-like voice and data services regionally. The Thuraya ground segment includes terrestrial gateways plus a collocated network operations center and satellite control facility in the United Arab Emirates.

Thuraya Satellite Telecommunications Co., based in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, provides satellite-based telephone services to a region covering more than 100 countries in Europe, Africa, India, the Middle East and Asia, populated by an estimated 2.3 billion people.

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