MEASAT Satellite Systems Sdn. Bhd. (“MEASAT”) today successfully launched the MEASAT-3a satellite from the Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan. The satellite was launched on a Sea Launch LandLaunch Zenit-3SLB launch vehicle.
The event was witnessed by a group of senior Malaysian government and private sector officials, as well as a select group of 14 students from Malaysia, India, Indonesia, the Philippines and the United Kingdom.
The launch was simultaneously broadcasted live in Malaysia, and witnessed by a group of over 200 guests at the Pacific Regency Hotel Suites in Kuala Lumpur that included the Malaysian Minister of Information, Communication and Culture, YB Dato’ Seri Utama Dr Rais Yatim who said, “This is another great achievement for MEASAT, and for the Malaysian space industry. With the launching of Malaysia’s fourth geo-stationary communications satellite, we see even greater interest in space technology among Malaysians. We also hope that this launch will give Malaysia greater cutting edge and leadership in space technology and satellite communications.”
MEASAT’s Chief Operating Officer, Mr. Paul Brown-Kenyon, who was also at the launch, said that the new satellite would be critical in supporting the continued growth of the company. “We are proud to see the hard work of our engineering team, and those of Orbital Sciences, Intelsat and SeaLaunch, come to fruition with the successful launch of the satellite today. On the completion of in-orbit testing, the satellite will provide a significant boost to our network capacity, allowing the continued expansion of our business in Malaysia, Asia Pacific and Africa” he added.
Rohana Rozhan, Chief Executive Officer of Astro TV, added “We at Astro are excited with the launch of the MEASAT-3a satellite. Astro aspires to stay ahead by providing our 2.7 million and growing customers with even more choice. The new capacity from MEASAT-3a will allow us to do so, as well as allow us to innovate our products and services in terms of content and technology.”
When deployed after the completion of in-orbit testing, expected end-July 2009, MEASAT-3a will expand capacity at MEASAT’s key 91.5°E orbital location by 50 percent, providing an additional 24 transponders to the 48 transponders provided by MEASAT-3. The new satellite has been designed to support the continued growth of the company’s Direct-to-Home (“DTH”), Broadcasting and Telecommunications services.
