Barron Beneski (703) 406-5528
Public and Investor Relations
beneski.barron@orbital.com
ORBITAL-BUILT HYLAS 2 COMMUNICATIONS SATELLITE SET FOR LAUNCH ABOARD ARIANE 5 ROCKET
-- High-Throughout Ka-Band Commercial Satellite Ready For Launch Following Completion of Pre-Flight Integration and Testing --
-- HYLAS 2 Will Bring Broadband Capability to Eastern and Southern Africa, Eastern Europe and the Middle East, and Across the Caucuses -
(Dulles, VA 01 August 2012) -- Orbital Sciences Corporation (NYSE: ORB), one of the world's leading space technology companies, announced today that it is in final preparations for the launch of the HYLAS 2 communications satellite for Avanti Communications Group PLC. Designed, manufactured and tested at Orbital's Dulles, VA satellite production facilities, the HYLAS 2 spacecraft will be launched aboard an Ariane 5 rocket from Kourou, French Guiana on Thursday, August 2, 2012. The targeted launch time will be during a nearly one-hour launch window that opens at 4:54 p.m. and closes at 5:51 p.m. (EDT), subject to final pre-launch preparations and testing activities, as well as acceptable weather conditions at the time of the launch.
Following its launch and several weeks of in-orbit testing and systems verification, the satellite will be placed into commercial service from its final geosynchronous orbit position, providing data and video services to Eastern and Southern Africa, Eastern Europe and the Middle East, and across the Caucuses.
"HYLAS 2 introduces a new market application for Orbital's commercial communications satellites, bringing broadband communications into the range of space systems we offer our customers," said Mr. Christopher Richmond, Orbital's Senior Vice President of Communications Satellites. "The HYLAS 2 spacecraft is one of the most sophisticated commercial satellites we have ever built and we are looking forward to putting it to work for our Avanti customer."
About HYLAS 2
The state-of-the-art smaller-size satellite is based on Orbital's proven GEOStar-2 platform. It carries 24 active Ka-band user beams and six gateway beams and will produce approximately 5.0 kilowatts of payload electrical power. The Ka-band spot beams on the HYLAS 2 will provide two-way communications services to facilitate high-speed delivery of data to end-user applications such as corporate networking, broadband Internet access, business continuity services and video distribution. The spacecraft will be equipped with a steerable spot beam, also operating at Ka-band, which can provide coverage anywhere on Earth that is visible to the satellite.
Orbital designed, built and tested the HYLAS 2 spacecraft at the company's satellite manufacturing facility in Dulles, Virginia.
About Avanti Communications Group PLC
Avanti sells satellite data communications services to telecommunications companies which use them to supply residential, enterprise and institutional users. Avanti's first satellite, called HYLAS 1, launched on November 26, 2010, was the first Ka-band satellite launched in Europe. Avanti's second satellite, HYLAS 2, will extend Avanti's coverage to Africa and the Middle East. Avanti's third satellite, HYLAS 3, to be launched in partnership with ESA in 2015, will provide further capacity in the EMEA region. Some 80% of Avanti's fleet capacity will address the emerging telecommunications markets of Africa and the Middle East. For more information about Avanti, media are asked to contact:
College Hill, London: +44 (0)207 457 2020 and ask for:
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Duncan MacKenzie-Reid, duncan.mackenzie-reid@collegehill.com
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Jeremy Durrant, Jeremy.durrant@collegehill.com
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Lottie Whyte, lottie.whyte@collegehill.com
About Orbital
Orbital develops and manufactures small- and medium-class rockets and space systems for commercial, military and civil government customers. The company's primary products are satellites and launch vehicles, including low-Earth orbit, geosynchronous-Earth orbit and planetary exploration spacecraft for communications, remote sensing, scientific and defense missions; human-rated space systems for Earth-orbit, lunar and other missions; ground- and air-launched rockets that deliver satellites into orbit; and missile defense systems that are used as interceptor and target vehicles. Orbital also provides satellite subsystems and space-related technical services to U.S. Government agencies and laboratories. More information about Orbital can be found at http://www.orbital.com
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Note to editors: A high-resolution photograph of the HYLAS 2 satellite in Orbital's Dulles, VA manufacturing facility is available at: http://www.orbital.com/NewsInfo/ImagesMultimedia/Images/SatelliteSpaceSystems/index.shtml