[SatNews] Second satellite in growing fleet will provide additional capacity
at the 26 degrees East TV hotspot...
Es’hailSat, the Qatar Satellite Company, today announced that following an international consultation, Mitsubishi Electric Corporation (MELCO), has been selected to build the company’s second satellite, Es’hail 2. The new high-performance satellite will be positioned at the 26 degrees East hotspot position for TV broadcasting and significantly adds to the company’s ability to provide high quality, premium DTH television content across the Middle East and North Africa.
Es’hail 2 will have Ku-band and Ka-band capabilities and will provide TV distribution and government services to strategic stakeholders and commercial customers who value broadcasting and communications independence, interference resilience, quality of service and wide geographical coverage. Moreover, Es’hail 2 will provide the first Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation (AMSAT) geostationary communication capability that links Brazil to India in one single hop and in real-time. It will allow also the AMSAT community to validate and demonstrate their DVB standard.
The Es’hail 2 design activities started on July 17, 2014 and will take approximately 27 months to complete the manufacturing and testing. The satellite is expected to launch at the end of 2016. In addition to the manufacture of Es’hail 2, MELCO will also operate an in-house satellite training program for Qatari engineers, continuing the company’s strategy of developing capabilities within the organization and building a sustainable satellite industry for the State of Qatar.
Ali Al Kuwari, Chief Executive Officer of Es’hailSat
Ali Al Kuwari, Chief Executive Officer of Es’hailSat, commented: “With the success of our first satellite, Es’hail 1, we are delighted to move forward with our satellite procurement program with MELCO. Es’hail 2 demonstrates both our commitment to providing premium satellite capacity for broadcasters in the MENA region and to building a sustainable satellite industry for the State of Qatar”.
Yasunori Kamochi, General Manager, Space Systems Division of MELCO, said: “We are honored that Mitsubishi Electric and our DS2000 satellite bus platform with high quality and high reliability have been selected to manufacture Es’hail 2 by Es’hailSat. We are confident that we will contribute to a growth of satellite industry for the State of Qatar by providing high-performance satellite to Es’hailSat, the Qatar Satellite Company.
Es’hail 1, Qatar’s first satellite entered commercial service on Qatar National Day, December 18, 2013. Through its existing and planned satellites, Es’hailSat will broadcast diversified and high quality premium content with anti-jamming capabilities across the MENA region. Al Jazeera and beIN Sports are already using Es’hail 1 capacity for high definition broadcasting of their premium channels, including the recent 2014 FIFA World Cup.
Es’hailSat, The Qatar Satellite Company was established in 2010. Based in Doha, Qatar, the company owns and operates satellites to serve broadcasters, businesses and governments. Es’hail 1, which shares a spacecraft platform with the European satellite operator Eutelsat, was successfully launched on August 29, 2013. The satellite provides television, voice, Internet, corporate and government communications services across the Middle East and North Africa region and beyond. Es’hail 2 is currently under development and will be located at the 26 degrees East TV broadcasting hotspot.