Company s First Hybrid Electric Propulsion GEOStar-3 Satellite
Scheduled for January Launch from Kourou, French Guiana
DULLES, Va.Nov. 30, 2017--
Orbital ATK (NYSE: OA), a global leader in aerospace and defense
technologies, today announced that the Al Yah 3 satellite has arrived at
its launch site in Kourou, French Guiana, for its upcoming launch on an
Arianespace rocket in January 2018. Al Yah 3, built for Al Yah Satellite
Communications Company PrJSC (Yahsat), a leading global satellite
operator, is the first hybrid electric propulsion GEOStar-3 satellite
to be completed by Orbital ATK. The satellite was built at the company s
satellite manufacturing facility in Dulles, Virginia, and shipped to the
launch site on November 28. Al Yah 3 will extend Yahsat s commercial
Ka-band coverage to an additional 600 million users across Africa and
Brazil.
The Al Yah 3 satellite is scheduled for launch in January, 2018. (Photo: Business Wire)
Al Yah 3 is an all Ka-band high-throughput and light-weight satellite
that sets a new standard for affordability and payload flexibility in
its class. The spacecraft will provide affordable broadband
communications to 60% of Africa s population and more than 95% of
Brazil s population.
Today s delivery highlights the teamwork and cooperation between
Orbital ATK and Yahsat that brings us one step closer to advancing our
customer s goals, said Amer Khouri, Vice President of the Commercial
Satellite Business at Orbital ATK. With the satellite now in Kourou, we
look forward to working with both Yahsat and Arianespace to prepare for
a successful launch in January.
Al Yah 3 is a significant milestone in realizing our vision at Yahsat.
Extending our affordable broadband services to 60% of the people in
Africa and more than 95% in Brazil to bridge the digital divide and
enable a more connected world is core to our strategy. We look forward
to the successful launch of Al Yah 3 and thereafter furthering our
ambitions via future missions to support more growth for YahClick, and
for our other business lines such as commercial in-flight connectivity,
said Marcus Vilaca, Chief Technology Officer at Yahsat.
The GEOStar-3 platform is the newest, highest power and most advanced
platform in the flight-proven GEOStar product line. The spacecraft bus
features an increase in both battery capacity and solar array power,
enabling the GEOStar-3 to provide up to 8 kilowatts of power to the
payload. The hybrid electric propulsion system provides the benefits of
higher power and greater payload capability while maintaining
cost-effective launches and a faster path to orbit than all electric
systems.
About Orbital ATK
Orbital ATK is a global leader in aerospace and defense technologies.
The company designs, builds and delivers space, defense and aviation
systems for customers around the world, both as a prime contractor and
merchant supplier. Its main products include launch vehicles and related
propulsion systems; missile products, subsystems and defense
electronics; precision weapons, armament systems and ammunition;
satellites and associated space components and services; and advanced
aerospace structures. Headquartered in Dulles, Virginia, Orbital ATK
employs approximately 13,000 people across the U.S. and in several
international locations. For more information, visit www.orbitalatk.com.
About Yahsat
Yahsat is
a leading global satellite operator, providing multipurpose satellite
solutions for broadband, broadcast, government and communications use
across the Middle East, Africa, Europe, and Central and South West Asia.
Headquartered in Abu Dhabi, UAE, and wholly owned by Mubadala
Investment Company, the investment vehicle of the Government of Abu
Dhabi, Yahsat is the first company in the Middle East and Africa to
offer Ka-band services including YahClick, Yahsat Government Solutions,
YahLink and Yahlive via its Al Yah 1 and Al Yah 2 satellites. With the
launch of Al Yah 3, Yahsat s commercial Ka-band coverage will be
extended to an additional 20 markets, reaching 60% of Africa s
population and over 95% of Brazil s population. For more information,
visit www.yahsat.ae.
Source: Orbital ATK
Orbital ATK
Media Contact:
Kristen Basham, 703-404-7476
Group
Lead Public Relations
kristen.basham@orbitalatk.com
or
Investor
Contact:
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Relations
barron.beneski@orbitalatk.com