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Intelsat New Dawn satellite launched
| Staff Writer | April 22, 2011 | No comments |
Staff Writer
MyBroadband’s Staff Writer is directly plugged into the South African Internet backbone, and spits out press releases and other news as he receives it. ...
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Intelsat New Dawn, the first African private sector communications satellite, was launched from French Guiana
The launch of the Intelsat New Dawn satellite was initially scheduled to occur on 30 March 2011, but was delayed when an abnormal launch vehicle parameter was detected during the automated checkout procedure after startup of the Ariane 5’s cryogenic main engine.
A new launch date of 22 April was announced, and this time around the launch was successful. The Intelsat New Dawn satellite, loaded on an Ariane 5 rocket, blasted off from the Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana on Friday.
Commissioned in December 2008 and built by Orbital Sciences Corporation, the hybrid C-band/Ku-band satellite will be operated and marketed as a part of the global Intelsat fleet, bringing to 22 the number of Intelsat satellites serving Africa.
Intelsat New Dawn is ideally positioned to serve Africa through a payload optimized to deliver new capacity for voice, wireless backhaul, fixed line and wireless infrastructure, broadband and media– the fastest growing satellite-based applications in Africa.
New Dawn is a joint-venture between a consortium led by Convergence Partners and Intelsat S.A., which Intelsat said was delivered on time and within the US$250 million budget while being approximately 90% funded from African sources.
The Convergence Partners consortium also includes strategic shareholder Altirah Telecoms and the not-for-profit Convergence Partners Foundation.
“Intelsat and the African continent share a 40-year history in the development of Africa’s telecommunications infrastructure,” said Dave McGlade, Intelsat CEO. “Intelsat New Dawn will be integrated with the resilient Intelsat fleet, allowing us to expand and enhance the vital communications services that are provided by our customers to business consumers throughout Africa.”
Andile Ngcaba, Chairman of Convergence Partners, said, “The satellite will not only deliver crucial services specifically tailored for Africa, it will also herald the dawn of a new era where Africans enjoy far greater involvement in the space communications industry.”
Intelsat New Dawn is the first of eight satellites slated for launch over the next two years and is part of the largest satellite program in Intelsat’s history. The investment program is expected to provide enhanced high-powered capacity to Intelsat’s global fleet. Intelsat’s next launch is expected to be the Intelsat 18 satellite, slated for later in 2011.
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