"This marks the completion of our first satellite built for SES," said John Celli, president and chief operating officer at Space Systems/Loral. "We are pleased that the Space Systems/Loral powerful satellite platform will contribute to SES' ongoing success in providing services to some of the world's fastest growing markets."
NSS-12, which will be the largest satellite in the SES WORLD SKIES fleet, is designed to enable communications services for telecommunications providers, broadcasters, corporations, and governments in Europe, Africa, the Middle East, India, Australia and Central Asia. NSS-12 will replace NSS-703 at the orbital location of 57 degrees East longitude and will help offer substantial expansion opportunities for its customers.
"NSS-12 marked the beginning of our relationship with SS/L," said Robert Bednarek, president and chief executive officer of SES WORLD SKIES. "SS/L has been very responsive to our needs throughout the construction of this satellite and we are pleased that the completed satellite is now at launch base. We look forward to a successful launch."
NSS-12 carries 40 C-band and 48 Ku-band transponder equivalents. Two hemispheric C-band beams covering Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and Asia to Australia are used for applications such as telephony, cable distribution and corporate networks. This coverage is augmented by a powerful C-band global beam spanning from the UK to the Far East. The satellite will also provide Direct-to-Home video through four regional Ku-band spot beams over the Middle East, Europe, Central and South Asia, and East Africa. With the combined C- and Ku-band coverage, the satellite will reach an estimated two-thirds of the world's population.
NSS-12, which will provide service for 15 years or more, is based on SS/L's 1300 space-proven platform, which is designed with the flexibility to support a broad range of applications and technology advances. Space Systems/Loral currently has three additional satellites under construction for SES.