Guiana Space CentreNewSat has finalised a deal with Arianespace for the launch of Jabiru-1 satellite from the Guiana Space Centre, French Guiana during the fourth quarter of 2014.

The latest agreement updates the previous launch agreement signed with Arianespace on 8 December 2011.

Jabiru-1 is currently being constructed by Lockheed Martin Commercial Space Systems and is based on the A2100 platform.

Weighing 5,900kg at launch, it will carry 50 Ka-band transponders configured in a variety of multi-spot, steerable and regional beams for different applications.

With a design life of 15 years, Jabiru-1 will deliver over 7.6 GHz of capacity, providing high-powered Ka-band coverage to companies and government customers across Asia, the Middle East and eastern Africa.

Jabiru-1 is NewSat’s first geostationary communications satellite and will provide satellite capacity to customers in the oil, natural gas, mining, financial and government agencies.

The satellite is based on Lockheed Martin’s A2100 modular design, focusing on simplified construction to offer increased on-orbit reliability and reduced weight and cost.

The A2100 design can carry a large range of communication payloads and serves as the platform for critical government communications programmes.

Australian satellite company NewSat has already signed a 15-year contract worth $180m with Malaysian-based satellite operator Measat for satellite capacity on Jabiru-1, which will be used to provide back-up services to Measat’s customer base.

NewSat is also planning to launch Jabiru-2 satellite in 2013 to offer Ku-band capacity to oil, gas, mining customers with business-grade Internet, voice, data and video communication services.

 

Image: Jabiru-1 satellite will be launched from the Guiana Space Centre, French Guiana during the fourth quarter of 2014. Photo: Arianespace