Thales and Orbital receive contract for OverHorizon commercial comsat

• Confirms Thales Alenia Space pioneering positioning in highly value-added innovative flexible payloads

(Cannes, December 23, 2009) -- Thales Alenia Space announced today that it has signed a new geosynchronous (GEO) communications satellite contract with OverHorizon with offices in the USA, Sweden and Cyprus. The spacecraft will carry an on-board processing payload provided by Thales Alenia Space, mounted on Orbital Sciences Corporation (Orbital)'s STARTM 2.3 satellite platform Both Thales Alenia Space and Orbital will share in the contract responsibilities as co-prime partners and the satellite will be delivered in early 2012. Financial terms of the contract were not disclosed.

The OverHorizon satellite provides a regenerative system for broadband communication via the satellite to, from and between small, inexpensive user terminals ("the Regenerative Communication System") installed on moving vehicles, such as cars, trucks, boats, airplanes, etc.


"Thales Alenia Space, as worldwide leader in satcom payload, is proud to contribute to OverHorizon with cutting-edge payload technologies to provide efficient, regenerative and transparent capacity. This innovative flexible payload, which relies on Thales Alenia Space in-orbit heritage and proven performance, will offer OverHorizon a position to be a decisive contender at the market with a highly versatile and adaptable mission, perfectly suited to their customers' expectation" said Mr. Emmanuel Grave, Telecommunications Executive Vice-President for Thales Alenia Space. He added, "I am also very pleased to work with Orbital on this program."

"This OverHorizon satellite order is the third time Orbital and Thales Alenia Space teamed together to provide competitive and technically advantageous satellites for clients, including prior orders of AMC-21 for SES and Koreasat 6 for Koreasat," said Mr. Michael Larkin, Orbital's Executive Vice President and General Manager of its Space Systems Group. Mr. Larkin also added "From the world's largest satellite operators, including Intelsat and SES, to regional operators such as Telenor, Optus, and now OverHorizon with this new satellite operation, Orbital is ready to provide the most comprehensive support and best reliability in product and service to all our customers."

Mr. James Gerow, President of OverHorizon LLC, said, "We are very pleased to be working together with Thales Alenia Space and Orbital to provide this new satellite to meet the significant demand for true mobile broadband communication from Government, Media and NGO customers operating in areas with limited or no communications' infrastructure. The combination of Thales Alenia Space and Orbital provides a satellite uniquely positioned to deliver the best value of satellite services with Thales Alenia Space innovative and performant payload on board Orbital's STAR 2.3 platform well optimized for this size of mission."

Source : Thales Group (Paris: HO.PA)