Arabsat has announced it plans to launch a new satellite every year until 2012. Further details about its next two planned satellites, the Badr-7 and Badr-5C, will be revealed during next week’s Cabsat 2009 in Dubai.
Eng. Khalid Balkheyour, Arabsat president and CEO, said in a statement that “Arabsat will declare its new satellites Badr – 7 & 5 C, for which contracts have been signed earlier this month, as a step in Arabsat future plans that calls for launching satellites every year till 2012. It’s also a good chance for Arabsat to cope up with the latest updates in the market of satellites and telecommunications and explore the new investments opportunities in the Middle East market. Arabsat will give a presentation, in cooperation with the ASBU, about the joint project of Menos.”
Arabsat operates a fleet of satellites at the 26 Degree East and 30.5 Degree East positions. Badr-5 is a Eurostar-3000 model with 56 active transponders in Ku-band and Ka-band, Badr-5 will primarily provide full in-orbit back-up capacity, both for Badr-4 and Badr-6 at its 26 degrees East position.
Badr-7 is also a Eurostar E3000 model, equipped with 36 active transponders in Ku-band, and will be placed in the 26 degrees East slot.
