Astrium has delivered Arabsat-5C, a multi-mission satellite, to Arabsat as part of the in-orbit delivery contract.

Arabsat-5C is the third satellite based on Astrium’s Eurostar E3000 platform to enter commercial service after the completion of in-orbit performance testing on all spacecraft functions.

Astrium’s spacecraft control centre in Toulouse, France, has conducted the launch and early orbit phases (LEOP), and the in-orbit testing was managed from the Arabsat main control centre in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, supported by the Arabsat control centre in Tunis, Tunisia.

Astrium was responsible for delivery of the Eurostar E3000 platform and assembled and tested the spacecraft, while Thales Alenia Space (TAS) supplied the communications payload.

Arabsat-5C provides satellite capacity in both C-band and Ka-band frequencies for satellite communications services in Africa and the Middle East.

The Arabsat-5C satellite has a launch mass of 4,770kg, a spacecraft power of 10kW and a design life of 15 years.