Asia Satellite Telecommunications Co. Ltd. (Asiasat) signed a contract with Sea Launch to loft the Asiasat 5 satellite into orbit aboard a Land Launch rocket in the second half of 2008, Asiasat announced May 8.

Land Launch, a collaboration of Sea Launch and Space International Services, uses a Zenit-3SLB version of the Sea Launch Zenit-3SL rocket. The launch will take place from Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.

Space Systems/Loral will design and build the Asiasat 5 spacecraft, which will be based on SS/L’s 1300 series satellite platform and carry 26 C-band transponders providing pan-Asian coverage and 14 Ku-band transponders providing three high- power beams — two covering East Asia and South Asia and a third steerable beam.

Asiasat 5 is designed to replace Asiasat 2, which will be retired in 2010, at 100.5 degrees East. The launch of Asiasat 5 is scheduled for the second quarter 2008.

The construction of Asiasat 5 by Space Systems/Loral Inc., the launch of the spacecraft and insurance coverage will cost about $180 million, Asiasat said.