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Koreasat-6 payload left Thales Alenia Space plant in Toulouse to Orbital in Dulles, Virginia, for final assembly

27 November 2009

Toulouse, November 27, 2009 – Koreasat-6 satellite prime contractor Thales Alenia Space announced today that it has shipped the payload to Orbital Sciences Corporation for final integration aboard their STARTM platform.

The contract, which was signed in May 2008 with Korea Telecom (KT), comprises the provision of the telecommunication satellite, in partnership with the U.S manufacturer, Orbital.

As prime contractor, Thales Alenia Space has overall responsibility for design, manufacturing and test of the Koreasat-6 satellite and ground segment, as well as Launch and Early Operations Phase (LEOP), In-Orbit Test (IOT) support and associated services. Thales Alenia Space has procured Orbital’s STAR-2 GEO platform, and has manufactured the communications payload.

Designed for 15 years lifetime, Koreasat-6 satellite has 30 active Ku-band transponders with 2.8 T launch mass, and 3.4 kW electrical power. The satellite, scheduled to be launched in 2010, will be positioned at 116 degrees East and will provide broadcasting and telecommunications services over Korea.

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 has a total of 7,200 employees and 11 industrial sites, with design and manufacturing facilities in France, Italy, Spain and Belgium. www.thalesaleniaspace.com

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