Telenor Renames New Satellite Thor 5

OSLO, Feb. 22, 2007/Satnews Daily/ ― Telenor Satellite Broadcasting said their Thor II-R satellite will be renamed Thor 5 and is to be launched from Baikonur, Kazakhstan in October 2007. It is expected to be in full service by the first quarter of 2008.

The launch of Thor 5 strengthens Telenor's TV broadcasting capacity on 1° West, an ideal position for satellite services in the Nordics, Europe and the Middle East. Telenor firmly believes the growth of niche TV channels, the introduction of HDTV and the expansion opportunities within new emerging markets will continue to increase the demand for satellite capacity. 

Thor 5 is based on Orbital's STAR-TM satellite platform. Thor 5 will provide Ku-band fixed telecommunications and direct-to-home television broadcasting services from Telenor's 1 degree West Longitude orbital location.

Thor 5 will have 24 transponders with three times more payload power (3.6 kilowatts payload power) compared to the current Thor 2 satellite. It will weigh some 2,450 kg at launch.

"The Thor name has a strong association with Telenor's satellite fleet and is synonymous with the 1º West orbital position which has gained much credibility for the delivery of quality satellite broadcasting over the past 14 years," said Cato Halsaa, managing director of Telenor Satellite Broadcasting.

For Telenor, the name "Thor" represents its cultural heritage associated with both Thor, the Norse god of Thunder, and Thor Heyerdal, the Norwegian explorer who sailed from South America to Polynesia in 1947 (the Kon-Tiki expedition).

"We are very pleased to be providing this satellite to a dynamic and expanding market in Europe," noted Dr. Ali Atia, head of Orbital's GEO communications satellite unit. He said Orbital was now at the final stage of assembly and testing.

To secure further growth, Telenor is in the process of acquiring a replacement for Thor 3. A process of evaluation is now taking place and Telenor is set to make a final decision by the end of this April.

Telenor has a long history with satellite communication. In the early 1970s, the company was a pioneer in the satellite industry providing satellite communication to the offshore oil installations in the Norwegian Sea and the Svalbard Islands.

Telenor's first satellite began its life as Marco Polo II and was launched using a Delta 2 rocket from Cape Canaveral on August 17, 1990. It was buiilt by British Satellite Broadcasting (BSB) but was purchased by Telenor in July 1992. Telenor renamed it Thor 1 and successfully moved it to its new in-orbit position at 1º West.

Telenor has continuously expanded the 1º West position with Thor 2, Thor 3 and ownership in Intelsat 10-02. Thor 5 and the replacement of Thor 3 represent Telenor's commitment to invest in satellite communications and to develop a growth strategy for the 1º West platform beyond the Nordics.

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