The first African private sector communications satellite, Intelsat New Dawn, is scheduled to be launched on 29 March 2011 from Arianespace’s launch site in Kourou, French Guiana.

Under a $250m contract, Orbital Sciences Corporation has designed, manufactured, tested and delivered the New Dawn satellite and its 28 C-band and 24 Ku-band 36MHz transponder units.

The new satellite will cover the capacity backlog faced by African wireless telecom operators, broadband service providers, corporate network service providers and media operators in the second quarter of 2011.

The hybrid C-band / Ku-band satellite will bring the number of Intelsat satellites that are serving in Africa to 22 and will be operated and marketed as a part of the global Intelsat fleet.

Arianespace will use the Ariane 5 Cryogenic Evolution type A (ECA) for the dual payload mission of the Intelsat New Dawn and Yahsat 1A telecommunications satellites.