Astrolink International LLC, a global broadband telecommunications company, today announced that the flight panels for its first satellite were completed six weeks ahead of schedule.
Lockheed Martin Commercial Space Systems (LMCSS) delivered the flight panels to TRW Space Park in Redondo Beach, CA to begin testing and integration. This marks a critical milestone for Astrolink, which is on schedule to launch service in the first quarter of 2003.
Astrolink will provide state-of-the-art bandwidth-on-demand services over satellite to subscribers at broadband data rates as high as 1,000 times faster than conventional telephone dial-up capability. The flexibility and speed of the platform will enable Astrolink to deliver highly cost-effective broadband services tailored to the evolving requirements of the enterprise market.
Astrolink will launch these services in multiple phases. The first phase will include Internet access/Internet service, point-to-point connectivity, multicasting, and IP virtual private networks (VPN).
“The service offering that Astrolink is planning to provide will have market appeal,” said Nick Maynard, Yankee Group analyst. “A wide range of enterprises, especially those with 100-1,000 employees, could benefit from this level of bandwidth offering.”
The satellite structure delivered by LMCSS will contain the on-board processors or switches being developed by TRW. These on-board switches will enable Astrolink to provide high-speed, any-to-any IP connections to enterprise sites around the world.
Dave Rosener, Astrolink’s vice president of space and launch systems, said, “We are excited about the progress to date in building Astrolink’s space segment. Astrolink plans to be the first satellite Ka-band network to utilize next-generation technology, including on-board, switched processing and spot beams. This new technology will for the first time enable satellites to provide cost-effective broadband data services to business enterprises of any size.”
