Boeing and partner Orbital Sciences are a step closer to helping the government of Mexico provide advanced communications services throughout the country and surrounding maritime area with the completion of the MEXSAT Bicentenario communications satellite. Orbital designed, manufactured and tested MEXSAT Bicentenario before shipping the completed spacecraft to Kourou, French Guiana, where it is scheduled to be launched aboard an Ariane 5 rocket on Dec. 19.

Under a contract with Boeing, Orbital completed the work on MEXSAT Bicentenario as part of a three-satellite order for the Federal Government of Mexico. As prime contractor for MEXSAT, Boeing is providing two larger satellites in the series that are scheduled for launch in 2013 and 2014.

The Secretaria de Comunicaciones y Transportes of Mexico will take over day-to-day operations of the satellites as they are launched and undergo on-orbit testing, verification and positioning.

"MEXSAT Bicentenario is based on Orbital's flight-proven GEOStar-2 platform, which enabled us to deliver the spacecraft on a short delivery schedule," said Christopher Richmond, Orbital senior vice president of Communications Satellite Programs.

"We are looking forward to a successful launch and a smooth on-orbit checkout sequence."

Boeing Space and Intelligence Systems is the overall integrator of the MEXSAT communications network, which will comprise three satellites, two ground telemetry and control sites, associated network operations systems, and reference user terminals.

The second and third MEXSAT satellites will be Boeing 702HP geomobile satellites that will each supply 14 kilowatts of power and carry a 22-meter L-band reflector for mobile satellite services.