Space Systems/Loral Press Release - April 20, 2011
Space Systems/Loral Announces Early Delivery of Telstar 14R
-- Communications Satellite Built for Telesat Has Arrived in Kazakhstan to Begin Preparations for Late
May Launch
PALO ALTO, Calif., April 20, 2011 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Space Systems/Loral (SS/L), the world's leading
provider of
commercial satellites, today announced that
Telstar 14R/Estrela do Sul 2 was
delivered ahead of schedule for the start of its launch campaign. The satellite, designed and built for
Telesat, one of the world's leading satellite operators,
arrived earlier today at the Baikonur Space Center in Kazakhstan, where it will be launched in late May aboard an
ILS Proton Breeze M vehicle provided by
International Launch Services
(ILS).
Telstar 14R/Estrela do Sul 2 is shown here in the antenna test facility at Space Systems/Loral
before being shipped to launch base.
"It is a great credit to the combined efforts
of Space Systems/Loral and Telesat that Telstar 14R/ Estrela do Sul 2 was completed in less than two years' time,"
said Dan Goldberg, Telesat's President and
CEO. "When our newest satellite goes into service this summer, it will provide significant benefits to our current
and prospective customers, including roughly double the capacity of the satellite it replaces as well as
significantly improved geographic coverage and higher power."
Telstar 14R/Estrela do Sul 2 is a Ku-band
satellite that will deliver services to growing markets that include Brazil, the Continental United States, the
North Atlantic Ocean Region, as well as the Andean and Southern Cone region of South America. The satellite has 46
Ku-band transponders and five antenna beams with on-orbit switching capability that will allow its capacity to be
reconfigured depending on market demand.
"Great teamwork, dedication and focus enabled us to deliver Telstar 14R/Estrela do Sul 2 well ahead of
schedule," said
John Celli, president of SS/L. "For
Telesat's customers, the satellite will bring valuable communications capability to some relatively remote parts
of the world. It is heartening to know that the satellites that we design and build at SS/L can improve people's
lives by contributing to better healthcare delivery and education, and much needed infrastructure when emergency
services are required."
Telstar 14R/Estrela do Sul 2 will be positioned at 63 degrees West longitude, replacing Telstar 14/Estrela do
Sul which was also built by SS/L. The new satellite is based on the highly reliable Space Systems/Loral 1300
platform and has 27 Ku-band transponders that are fixed and 19 that are switchable. With approximately 12-kW of
end of life power, Telstar 14R is designed to deliver service for 15 years or more.
About Telesat
Telesat is a leading global fixed satellite services operator providing reliable and secure
satellite-delivered communications solutions worldwide to broadcast, telecom, corporate and government customers.
The company has a state-of-the-art fleet of 12 satellites with three more under construction including the
Canadian Ka-band payload on ViaSat-1, is preparing to launch Telstar 14R, and manages the operations of additional
satellites for third parties. Telesat is headquartered in Ottawa, Canada, with offices and facilities around the
world. Privately held, its principal shareholders are Canada's Public Sector Pension Investment Board and Loral
Space & Communications Inc. (Nasdaq:LORL).
About Space Systems/Loral
Space Systems/Loral, a subsidiary of Loral Space & Communications (Nasdaq:LORL), has a long history of
delivering reliable satellites and spacecraft systems for commercial and government customers around the world. As
the world's leading provider of commercial satellites, the company works closely with satellite operators to
provide spacecraft for a broad range of services including television and radio distribution, digital audio radio,
broadband Internet, and mobile communications. Billions of people around the world depend on SS/L satellites every
day. For more information, visit
www.ssloral.com.
About Loral Space & Communications Loral Space & Communications is a satellite communications company.
Through its Space Systems/Loral subsidiary, the company is a world-class leader in the design and manufacture of
satellites and satellite systems for commercial and government applications including direct-to-home television,
broadband communications, wireless telephony, weather monitoring, and air traffic management. Loral also owns 64
percent of Telesat, one of the world's largest providers of satellite services. Telesat operates a fleet of
telecommunications satellites used to broadcast video entertainment programming, distribute direct-to-home video
and broadband data services, and other value-added communications services. For more information, visit Loral's
Web site at www.loral.com. LORL-G
This document contains forward-looking statements
within the meaning of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. When used in this press release,
the words "believes," "expects," "plans," "may," "will," "would," "could," "should," "anticipates," "estimates,"
"project," "intend" or "outlook" or other variations of these words or other similar expressions are intended to
identify forward-looking statements and information. In addition, Loral Space & Communications Inc., Space
Systems/Loral, Inc. or their representatives have made or may make forward-looking statements, orally or in
writing, which may be included in, but are not limited to, various filings made from time to time with the
Securities and Exchange Commission, and press releases or oral statements made with the approval of an authorized
executive officer of the company. Actual results may differ materially from anticipated results as a result of
certain risks and uncertainties which are described as "Risk Factors" and in the "Commitments and Contingencies"
note to the financial statements in Loral's 2010 annual report on Form 10-K filed March 15, 2011. The reader is
specifically referred to this document, as well as the company's other filings with the Securities and Exchange
Commission. Risks and uncertainties include but are not limited to (1) risks associated with financial factors,
including swings in the global financial markets, financial covenants in SS/L's credit agreement, increases in
interest rates and access to capital; (2) risks associated with satellite manufacturing, including competition,
cyclicality of SS/L's end-user markets, contractual risks, creditworthiness of customers, performance of suppliers
and management of our factory and personnel; (3) regulatory risks, such as the effect of U.S. export control and
economic sanction laws; and (4) other risks, including litigation. The foregoing list of important factors is not
exclusive. Furthermore, Loral and SS/L operate in an industry sector where securities values may be volatile and
may be influenced by economic and other factors beyond the control of Loral and SS/L.
CONTACT:
Media Contact: Wendy Lewis Space Systems/Loral +1 (650) 852-5188 Source: Loral Space & Communications
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