[Satellite TODAY Insider 07-06-11] Arianespace has won a contract to launch Telenor Satellite Broadcasting’s (TSBc) Thor 7 satellite in the fourth quarter of 2013, the launch services provider announced July 5.
Thor 7 will be launched into geostationary transfer orbit on an Ariane 5 launcher from the Guiana Space Center in French Guiana. This is the second TSBc win for Arianespace, which launched Telenor’s Thor 6 satellite in October 2009.
TSBc CEO Cato Halsaa told Satellite TODAY Insider that Thor 7’s launch services bid was a competitive race between Arianespace and U.S.-based launch company SpaceX, which was coming off recent wins from Thaicom and SES.
“We have been surprised to see how competitive the market is and the bids received shows that conventional wisdom is being challenged over and over again — there is no obvious choice … In terms of SpaceX, it is very much a question of risk against price in this respect. We have not been influenced by the fact that others have decided to go with SpaceX,” Halsaa said. “Arianespace was chosen as the primary launch provider for our Thor 7 satellite as they have a proven track record in the delivery of excellent launch services and solutions.”
TSBc’s Thor 7 satellite is being built by Space Systems/ Loral and will be fitted with two payloads. The first payload includes 11 active Ku-band transponders, all of which will be used to serve growing broadcasting requirements within Central and Eastern Europe. It will also include further Ku-band capability that will be utilized to provide restoration capacity for TSBc’s Thor fleet located at 1 degrees West. The second is a Ka-band payload, fitted with spot beams covering in areas including the North Sea, Norwegian Sea, the Red Sea, the Baltic Sea, the Persian Gulf and the Mediterranean.
“We were extremely pleased with the number of competitive bids received from the industry and evaluated all offers thoroughly. Throughout the bid process, Arianespace consistently demonstrated a high degree of credibility derived from their vast experience,” Halsaa said.
Separately, Arianespace announced that it postponed the scheduled July 1 Ariane 5 ECA tandem launch of the Astra 1N, BSAT-3c/JCSAT-110R satellites due to an anomaly that was detected on the rocket.
With a little more than a minute remaining on the launch countdown, Arianespace detected an LH2 valve fault on the rocket’s core stage. Arianespace said it has decided to replace the valve and that the ensuing operations should require approximately 20 days.
“The Astra 1N and BSAT-3c/JCSAT-110R satellite payloads are maintained in fully safe conditions. A date for a new launch attempt will be announced shortly,” Arianespace said in a company statement.
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