Thales Alenia Space, a joint venture between Thales (67 per cent) and Leonardo (33 per cent), has signed a contract with the Egyptian operator Nilesat to build the Nilesat-301 geostationary communications satellite
Positioned at seven degree West, Nilesat-301 will work with Nilesat-201 to provide Ku-band services for the Middle East and North Africa. Nilesat-301 will help extend the company’s provision of Ku-band communications and direct digital broadcasting services in two new large regions of Africa, while also providing broadband Ka-band connectivity over all of Egypt.
As prime contractor, Thales Alenia Space will be responsible for satellite design, production, testing and in-orbit acceptance tests. Thales Alenia Space will also provide satellite control system for Nilesat in both Cairo and Alexandria.
The satellite is based on the Spacebus 4000-B2 platform and will weigh about four metric tonnes at launch, which is scheduled for the first quarter of 2022. It offers a design life exceeding 15 years.
Following Nilesat-201, Nilesat-301 is the second geostationary communications satellite built by Thales Alenia Space for Nilesat. It is also the fourth payload developed by Thales Alenia Space for the Egyptian operator.
Jean-Loïc Galle, president and CEO of Thales Alenia Space, said, “This achievement proves that our telecommunications offer perfectly replies to the telecom market’s needs and that we are perfectly capable of providing tailored solutions that meet each operator’s specific requirements, to enhance global connectivity and reduce the digital divide.”
