Boeing has announced that it will begin marketing the Boeing 702 satellite under two names: the Boeing 702HP for the high-power version, and the Boeing 702MP for the medium-power version.

"In 2009, we announced a medium-power variation of the very successful Boeing 702 high-power satellite - a variation that was the result of more than four years of research and development," said Craig Cooning, vice president and general manager of Boeing Space and Intelligence Systems.

"This modified design - originally called the Boeing 702B and now called the Boeing 702MP - drew from the flight-proven technologies inherent in the Boeing 702 and added new capabilities that not only enabled us to re-enter the medium-sized satellite market, but also resulted in a more affordable and more technically adaptable design.

Our approach was validated when Intelsat became the first customer for this satellite design with an order for four spacecraft in July 2009.

"The name change aims to rebrand the Boeing 702," Cooning added. "Since we introduced it more than a decade ago, the Boeing 702 has continuously evolved. The renaming reflects the evolution of the 702 family and its ability to accommodate a wide variety of customers from the commercial, civil, defense and intelligence communities."

The 702HP configuration carries a modern lithium-ion power system and other features designed to operate at power levels of greater than 12 kilowatts.

This higher-power capability is required for satellite telephone systems and fixed satellite services. The 12-kilowatt-range 702MP is powered by a bipropellant system and can accommodate a wide range of payloads and hosted payloads for commercial, civil and government customers with lower power requirements.

The 702 systems will continue to accommodate both analog and digital payloads. Boeing is an industry leader in providing digital payloads, which give customers greater flexibility by allowing on-orbit reconfiguration of payloads to respond to changing business and mission needs.

"Boeing has sold 28 Boeing 702 satellites, and those in service have accumulated 867,000 hours of service life for both commercial and military customers," Cooning said. "The Boeing 702 - high-power and medium-power - has emerged as a powerhouse of capability, flexibility and reliability."

Boeing has kept the 702 satellite affordable in part by emphasizing commonality in electronics, supplier agreements, the design approach and the production process.

"Our legacy is built on technical excellence and product diversity," Cooning said. "But today's market demands higher affordability, broader technical options, and more creative design approaches. We've devised ways to eliminate some of the higher-cost items, such as deployable radiators, in order to improve our ability to compete. We've taken the necessary steps to update and streamline our satellite factory in order to contain costs and increase throughput, and we've regained the confidence of our many customers, both government and commercial. It's a new decade, and we're ready."