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Thales Alenia Space to build the ARSAT-1 payload

08 September 2009

Cannes, September 8, 2009 – Thales Alenia Space announced today that it has signed a contract with Argentina’s ARSAT to supply the payload for the ARSAT-1 satellite, as part of the SSGAT (Sistema Satelital Geoestacionario Argentino de Telecomunicaciones) program to manufacture the first Argentine geostationary telecom satellite. INVAP, the Rio Negro Province high tech powerhouse located in San Carlos de Bariloche, already involved in the manufacturing of Observation satellites, was selected by ARSAT as prime contractor of ARSAT-1 and will integrate the Thales Alenia Space payload with the platform they are currently developing.

ARSAT-1 is a key milestone for the development of ARSAT, as it will enable the operator to grow its fleet complementing in particular the Nahuel-1 satellite, built by Thales Alenia Space.

ARSAT-1 is slated to enter service in 2012, and will be positioned at 71.8 degrees West. It will provide data, telephone and television transmission services for Argentina, Chile, Uruguay, Paraguay and Bolivia. Weighing about 2.8 tons at launch, it will offer a design life of 15 years. The payload will be fitted with 24 Ku-band transponders and will use 3.5 kW of power.

“This contract once again confirms our leadership in the telecom payload market,” said Reynald Seznec, President and CEO of Thales Alenia Space. “We are very pleased to support both the growth of the operator ARSAT, and the emergence of a new national space industry player. Thanks to this contract, INVAP will extend its scope of expertise to the telecommunications.”

Thales Alenia Space is the only manufacturer to have recorded orders for more than 220 telecommunications payloads, of which over half equip platforms developed by nine other satellite manufacturers*. This clearly reflects Thales Alenia Space’s ability to work with industrial partners and adapt to the totally different technical characteristics of their platforms, while also efficiently dealing with cultural differences and geographical distances.

* Astrium, SSL, Orbital, Boeing, Energiya, Khrunichev, ISS (formerly NPO-PM), IAI, MELCO

About Thales Alenia Space
European leader in satellite systems and a major player in orbital infrastructures, Thales Alenia Space is a joint venture between Thales (67%) and Finmeccanica (33%). Thales Alenia Space and Telespazio embody the two groups’ “Space Alliance”. Thales Alenia Space sets the global standard in solutions for space telecoms, radar and optical Earth observation, defense and security, navigation and science. The company, which achieved revenues of Euro 2 billion in 2008, has a total of 7,200 employees located in 11 industrial sites in France, Italy, Spain and Belgium.

About ARSAT
Empresa Argentina de Soluciones Satelitales Sociedad Anonima, ARSAT, is a company incorporated by the Argentine Government under a law passed in 2006. The company aims to develop the argentine geostationary orbital slots by means of telecommunications satellites built in Argentina. ARSAT has selected INVAP, a satellite manufacturer established in Bariloche, Argentina, as prime contractor for the development and manufacturing of the satellites.www.arsat.com.ar

Thales Alenia Space Press Contacts:
Florence Pontieux - Tel: +33 (0)1 57 77 91 26 - florence.pontieux@thalesaleniaspace.com
Sandrine Bielecki - Tel: +33 (0)4 92 92 70 94 - sandrine.bielecki@thalesaleniaspace.com