Arianespace's On the occasion of the visit of the French Prime Minister in Egypt, it was announced that Arianespace has been chosen to launch the Nilesat 201 satellite, as part of a turnkey contract that Thales Alenia Space signed with Egyptian operator Nilesat.
Nilesat 201 will be placed into geostationary transfer orbit by an Ariane 5 or Soyuz rocket launched from the Guiana Space Center, Europe's Spaceport in French Guiana, during the first quarter of 2010.
Nilesat 201 is the third satellite launched by Arianespace for the Egyptian operator, following Nilesat 101 and 102, launched successfully in 1998 and 2000, respectively.
Built by Thales Alenia Space, Nilesat 201 will weigh nearly 3,000 kg at launch. It will be fitted with 24 Ku-band transponders and 3 Ka-band transponders to provide direct TV broadcast services throughout the Middle East. It will be positioned at 7 degrees West, and offer a design life exceeding 15 years.
"We are very honored and very proud to work with the major Egyptian operator Nilesat for the third time and to participate in the development of direct TV broadcasting in the Middle East," said Arianespace Chairman and CEO Jean-Yves Le Gall. "Our selection is clear recognition of the quality and excellence of Arianespace's launch Service and Solutions."
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