Alcatel Space CEO Pascale Sourisse told journalists Friday morning at the SATELLITE 2003 show that the satellite manufacturer expected there to be more satellite orders in both the commercial and institutional arenas this year.

But, despite this optimism, Sourisse gave a conservative forecast in terms of new satellite orders in the commercial sector. She expects there to be between 12 and 15 commercial satellite orders this year. Other manufacturers have been more optimistic, estimating that there could be between 15 and 20 commercial satellite orders this year.

During a panel discussion on Thursday, Sourisse said that less than robust demand for satellite capacity may “justify” consolidation among the world’s manufacturers. A likely merger partner for Alcatel Space would be fellow European satellite manufacturer Astrium, but such a deal has yet to move beyond the speculation stage, industry sources said. Alcatel Space is profitable and ranks as the largest satellite builder in Europe, Sourisse said.