Telesat of Canada has chosen
Arianespace to launch its ANIK F1 communications satellite in the year 2000. Meeting in Ottawa this Thuesday, Larry Boisvert, President and CEO of Telesat, and Jean-Marie Luton, Chairman and CEO of Arianespace, signed the launch contract for the ANIK F1 communications satellite.
The launch from Europe’s Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana, will take
place in the first quarter 2000, using an Ariane 44L launch vehicle. ANIK Fl is the fourth satellite that Telesat has entrusted to the European
launcher, following ANIK E2, launched in April 1991, ANIK El in September
1991, and MSAT 1 in April 1996.
Underscoring the importance of this contract, Arianespace Chairman Jean-
Marie Luton noted, “We greatly appreciate the confidence that the major
Canadian operator and space communications expert Telesat has once again
placed in Arianespace. Furthermore, we are very pleased to consolidate our
market position in Canada, despite increasingly fierce competition from North America. We also continue to demonstrate the Ariane launch system’s
competitiveness, by offering the reliability and availability that gives the
world’s leading operators a competitive edge.”
“ANIK Fl will be the cornerstone of Telesat’s North America satellite
business, and Telesat has once again entrusted Ariane to launch and deliver
the first of these new and powerful spacecraft,” said Larry Boisvert,
Telesat’s President and CEO. “Telesat continues to have great confidence in
Arianespace, and that’s why they will play a key role in a project that’s of
fundamental importance to our company and our customers.”
ANIK Fl will be built by Hughes Space and Communications in El Segundo,
California, using its new HS 702 platform. It will weigh more than 4,500 kg
(9,900 lb) at liftoff and will be equipped with 48 Ku-band and 36 C-band
transponders.
Located at 107.3 degrees West, ANIK Fl will provide telecommunications
services for North America during its projected design life of 15 years.
Following this contract, Arianespace’s order book now stands at 40
satellites to be launched.
