Nordic Satellite SB (NSAB) awarded International Launch Services (ILS) a contract to launch the Sirius 4 satellite in the second quarter of 2007 on a Proton Breeze M rocket. Nordic Satellite said. Lockheed Martin is constructing the satellite, which will carry 52 Ku-band and two Ka-band transponders.

The primary mission of Sirius 4 will be to provide replacement capacity for Sirius 2 and Sirius 3 in the Nordic and Baltic markets, as well as to enhance coverage in Eastern Europe and Russia. The spacecraft also will provide a wide-beam Ka-band transponder for interactive applications in Scandinavia and the Baltic states as well as provide a sub- Saharan Africa beam complementing existing and upcoming African coverage with the SES Global fleet.