MEASAT Satellite Systems of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, has signed a contract to purchase one geosynchronous communications satellite from Orbital Sciences Corporation.

The satellite -- based on Orbital's STAR satellite platform -- will be called MEASAT-1R and is scheduled to be launched into a Malaysian orbital slot at 91.5 degrees East Longitude over Southeast Asia in September 2007.

"Once again, our smaller-sized STAR GEO satellite platform has proved to be the right fit for an important satellite operator in Asia," said Dr. Ali Atia, head of Orbital's commercial GEO satellite business unit. "We are delighted to add MEASAT to the list of blue-chip customers who have recognised the benefits of small satellites and adopted the 'STAR small-satellite solution.'"

"The MEASAT... orbital location is developing into one of the region's premier satellite slots, with more than two million antennas now focused on the existing MEASAT-1 satellite," said MEASAT Satellite System's Mr. Tun Hanif. "Our decision to procure MEASAT-1R shows our commient to support our customers' expanding requirements for high-quality, high-powered satellite capacity."

The new satellite will carry 12 Ku-band and 12 C-band active transponders, along with three antennas. The satellite will serve C-band markets throughout the region with a global beam, and Ku-band beams will serve direct-to-home broadcasting markets in Malaysia and Indonesia. The satellite will generate approximately 3.6 kilowatts of payload power.

This is the fourth commercial communications satellite order received by Orbital this year. Other operators who have chosen the company's STAR GEO platform in 2005 include PanAmSat, which purchased the hybrid C- and Ku-band PAS-11 satellite in April and the Horizons-2 satellite in August as part of a joint venture with JSAT Corporation.

In addition, Norway's Telenor Broadcast Services ordered the Thor II-R Ku-band satellite from Orbital in September.

FMI: www.orbital.com