Arabsat 5A satellite successfully launched

• Communications satellite built by Thales Alenia Space and EADS Astrium

(Cannes, June 27, 2010) -- Arabsat 5A telecommunication satellite has been successfully launched tonight by Arianespace form Kourou, in French Guyana, with an Ariane 5 rocket. Arabsat 5A will provide a large range of satellite communications services for Middle East and Africa.

Arabsat 5A, a multi-mission satellite, will increase the capacity at the Arabsat 30.5 East position for a large range of satellite communications services such as television backhauling and broadcasting, telephony, business communications, Internet trunking and the provision of VSAT and other interactive services, over sub-Saharan Africa, the North-Africa and Middle East (MENA) region, and beyond.


Arabsat 5A was built by an industrial team of EADS Astrium and Thales Alenia Space, acting as co-prime contractors. EADS Astrium, the team leader, supplied the Eurostar E3000 platform and assembled and tested the spacecraft. Thales Alenia Space supplied the communications payload featuring 26 active transponders in C-band and 24 in Ku-band.

Arabsat 5A has a launch mass of 4,800kg and a spacecraft power of 11kW at the end of its 15-year designed lifetime.

"When fully accepted in orbit, Arabsat 5A will be the eleventh Arabsat satellite provided by Thales Alenia Space or by the team formed by Thales Alenia Space and EADS Astrium ", said Reynald Seznec, CEO of Thales Alenia Space. "As a long-standing partner to the Arab Satellite Communications Organisation Arabsat, we are totally committed to supporting them in their sustainable future growth by delivering technologies with outstanding performance."

Source : Thales Group (Paris: HO.PA)