ST-2 will be launched via an Ariane 5 ECA during the second quarter of 2011 from the Guiana Space Center, Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana. The satellite will be built by Mitsubishi Electric Corporation of Japan, using the DS2000 platform and will have a lift-off mass of more than 5100 kg. The satellite will carry C- and Ku-band transponders, providing fixed and mobile satellite services as well as Voice and Data IP based services for businesses, particularly DTH operators and shipping companies in Asia and the Middle East. ST-2 is projected to have a 15 year on orbit lifetime.
But wait... there's more! Asia Broadcast Satellite has also selected Arianespace to launch its new ABS-2 communications satellite.
This is the 11th contract signed by Arianespace in 2009. The launch of ABS-2 into geostationary transfer orbit is scheduled for the first half of 2012. It will also be launched by an Ariane 5 ECA from the Guiana Space Center, Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana. ABS-2 is the first satellite for which ABS has selected an Arianespace launch. Asia Broadcast Satellite is Arianespace’s 30th customer.
The ABS-2 spacecraft separated mass will be in excess of 6,000 kg at launch and offers a design life exceeding 15 years. The satellite will be built by Space Systems Loral using the LS 1300 platform, fitted with C-, Ku- and Ka-band payloads and will have more than four times the existing capacity of ABS-1. Positioned at 75 degrees East and co-located with ABS-1, ABS-2 will offer a wide range of services for Asia, Russia, Africa, and the Middle East, including DTH, cable TV distribution, multimedia applications, as well as data networks and telecommunications services. The ABS-2 satellite will be a significant addition to the existing 44 transponders on the ABS-1 satellite, which still has more than 14 years of fuel life remaining. ABS-2 will provide expansion capacity to existing ABS-1 customers and will also act as in-orbit spare and provide backup for the ABS-1 transponders.