ECHOSTAR-DISH STRATEGIC DEAL
On February 21, EchoStar Corporation (EchoStar) announced that it reached an agreement with sister company DISH Network Corporation (DISH) for a strategic transaction, to become effective March 1, 2014, involving the transfer from EchoStar to DISH of 80% of the U.S. retail consumer satellite broadband business of EchoStar subsidiary Hughes Network Systems, LLC (Hughes) in exchange for five DISH-owned satellites and approximately $11m in cash. The five satellites – EchoStar I, EchoStar VII, EchoStar X, EchoStar XI and EchoStar XIV – are expected to add at least $145m to EchoStar's 2014 revenue. The transfer of Hughes' broadband business will be effected through two issues of preferred tracking stock. According to EchoStar, the 20% of satellite broadband business retained by Hughes represents the wholesale element of its business and accounts for the majority of Hughes' future consumer broadband revenue growth potential.
FEBRUARY LAUNCHES
February 6 – Arianespace S.A. successfully launched the ABS-2 satellite for Asia Broadcast Satellite Ltd. and the Athena-Fidus satellite for the governments of France and Italy on an Ariane 5 launch vehicle. ABS-2, manufactured by Space Systems/Loral, LLC, carries 51 Ku-, 32 C- and 6 Ka-band transponders and will provide DTH and other telecommunications services to customers in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Russia, Central Asia and India from the 75°E orbital position. Athena-Fidus, manufactured by Thales Alenia Space, is equipped with 23 Kaband and EHF-band transponders and will provide broadband communications services to French and Italian homeland security and armed forces users from the 38°E orbital position.
February 15 – ILS International Launch Services, Inc. successfully launched the TURKSAT-4A satellite for Türksat Uydu Haberleşme Kablo TV ve İşletme A.Ş. on a Proton launch vehicle. Manufactured by Mitsubishi Electric Corporation based on its DS2000 platform, TURKSAT-4A is equipped with Ku-, Ka- and C-band transponders and will provide telecommunications and DTH services throughout Turkey, Europe, Central Asia, the Middle East and Africa. TURKSAT-4A will be located at the 42°E orbital position.
SATMEX-9 TO HOST WAAS PAYLOAD
On February 26, Satélites Mexicanos, S.A. de C.V. announced that the Satmex-9 satellite, currently being manufactured by Boeing Satellite Systems, Inc., will host a Wide-Area Augmentation System (WAAS) payload for the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The WAAS hosted payload will enhance the availability and accuracy of GPS signals, enabling the FAA to improve aviation safety.
FEBRUARY SATELLITE ORDERS
February 10 – Space Systems/Loral, LLC (SSL) announced that it was selected by Skybox Imaging Inc. (Skybox) to manufacture 13 earth observation satellites based on a Skybox design for which SSL has been granted an exclusive license. Expected to be launched in 2015 and 2016, the satellites are intended to form part of a planned 24-satellite commercial earth observation constellation that will provide customers access to cost-effective high resolution imagery, video and related analytics/data. Skybox's first satellite, SkySat-1, was successfully launched on a Dnepr launch vehicle in 2013.
February 20 – SES S.A. announced that it selected Airbus Defense and Space (Airbus) to manufacture the SES-10 satellite. SES-10 will be based on Airbus' Eurostar E3000 platform and will employ an electric plasma propulsion system for on-orbit maneuvers and a chemical propulsion system for initial orbit raising and maneuvering. Planned as a replacement for the AMC 3 and AMC 4 satellites, SES-10 will carry 50 high-power Ku-band transponders and will provide additional capacity for DTH and other telecommunications services to customers in Mexico, the Caribbean and Central and South America from the 67°W orbital position.
FEBRUARY LAUNCH SERVICES ORDERS
February 20 – Orbital Sciences Corporation announced that it was selected by Skybox Imaging Inc. to launch 6 of its earth observation satellites, to be manufactured by SSL, on a Minotaur-C launch vehicle in late 2015.
February 20/21 – SES S.A. announced that Space Exploration Technologies Corp. will launch the SES-9 and SES-10 satellites, each on a Falcon 9 launch vehicle, in 2015 and 2016 respectively. SES-9 is currently being manufactured by Boeing Satellite Systems, Inc.
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