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Thales Alenia Space to Build Turkmen Satellite for CGWIC

By Jeffrey Hill | December 8, 2011
      [Satellite TODAY 12-08-11] Prime contractor China Great Wall Industry Corp. (CGWIC) has signed a contract with Thales Alenia Space to build Turkmenistan’s first national communications satellite that CGWIC is scheduled to launch, Chinese officials reported Dec. 7.
         According to CGWIC, Thales Alenia Space will develop the 4.5-ton satellite for a service life of 15 years. Once completed, the communications satellite will be launched from the Xinchang space center by a Chang Zheng-3B rocket-carrier in 2014.
         CGWIC has carried out 32 international commercial launches and launched 38 satellites into orbit since its inception.
         Financial details of the manufacturing contract were not disclosed.