Jacques van Oene
April 5th 05, 10:12 AM
XTAR-EUR ENTERS FULL COMMERCIAL SERVICE, BEGINNING A NEW ERA
OF MILITARY SATELLITE COMMUNICATIONS
Spanish Ministry of Defense Begins Operations
ROCKVILLE, MD - April 4, 2005 - XTAR today announced that XTAR-EUR, the
world's first satellite developed for commercial X-band services, has
completed its in-orbit testing and is now fully operational.
"The in-service of XTAR-EUR marks a new era in satellite communications for
government and military users around the world," said Dr. Denis Curtin,
chief operating officer, XTAR. "The satellite's coverage and transmission
capabilities, confirmed during in-orbit testing, have intensified the US and
other allied governments' desire to use the system, with planned
demonstrations for the US Army and Air Force scheduled in the coming weeks."
The Spanish Ministry of Defense (SMOD), XTAR's first customer, will soon
begin operations on its 238 MHz of X-band capacity on XTAR-EUR. The SMOD
will continue to use XTAR-EUR until its primary satellite, SPAINSAT, enters
service. In addition, XTAR will lease eight 72 MHz X-band transponders on
SPAINSAT, to be designated XTAR-LANT, in order to provide additional X-band
services and greater flexibility.
Built by Space Systems/Loral (SS/L), XTAR-EUR was launched February 12, 2005
aboard an Ariane 5 ECA rocket. Located at 29 degrees East longitude, the
satellite provides X-band coverage from Eastern Brazil and the Atlantic
Ocean, across all of Europe, Africa and the Middle East to as far east as
Singapore.
The XTAR-EUR satellite features on-board switching and multiple steerable
beams, allowing users access to X-band capacity as they travel anywhere
within the footprint of the satellite. XTAR-EUR is designed to work with
existing X-band terminals, as well as next generation X-band terminals that
feature antennas smaller than 2.4 meters.
XTAR-EUR is based on SS/L's space-proven 1300 platform and carries twelve
wideband and high-power X-band transponders. XTAR-EUR, which has a specified
service life of 15 years, maintains station-keeping and orbital stability by
using bipropellant propulsion and momentum-bias systems. In all, SS/L
satellites have amassed more than 1,100 years of on-orbit service.
XTAR, LLC is a new satellite communications company committed to serving the
long-haul communications, logistics and infrastructure requirements of the
U.S., Spanish and allied governments. The company is a joint venture between
Loral Space & Communications, which owns 56 percent, and HISDESAT, which
owns 44 percent. XTAR is headquartered in Rockville, Md., and has offices in
Arlington, Va., Palo Alto, Calif. and Madrid, Spain. For more information,
visit the XTAR web site at http://www.xtarllc.com.
HISDESAT Servicios Estrategicos S.A. is a Spanish company headquartered in
Madrid and incorporated on July 17, 2001. HISDESAT's aims are the
acquisition, operation and commercialization of Government-oriented space
systems, beginning with satellite communications in the X-band and Ka-band
frequencies. HISDESAT is owned jointly by Hispasat, S.A., the Spanish
commercial satellite services company, INSA (100% owned by the Spanish
government) and the leaders of Spain's space industries: EADS-CASA Espacio,
INDRA and SENER. HISDESAT will provide enhanced capabilities, including
Ka-band, for Spain's defense applications.
Space Systems/Loral is a premier designer, manufacturer, and integrator of
powerful satellites and satellite systems. SS/L also provides a range of
related services that include mission control operations and procurement of
launch services. Based in Palo Alto, Calif., the company has an
international base of commercial and government customers whose applications
include broadband digital communications, direct-to-home broadcast, defense
communications, environmental monitoring, and air traffic control. SS/L is
ISO 9001:2000 certified. For more information, visit the Space Systems/Loral
web site at http://www.ssloral.com.
Loral Space & Communications is a satellite communications company. In
addition to Space Systems/Loral, through its Skynet subsidiary Loral owns
and operates a fleet of telecommunications satellites used to broadcast
video entertainment programming, and for broadband data transmission,
Internet services and other value-added communications services.
# # #
This document contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of
Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of
the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. In addition, Loral Space &
Communications Ltd. or its representatives have made or may make
forward-looking statements, orally or in writing, which may be included in,
but are not limited to, various filings made by the company with the
Securities and Exchange Commission, press releases or oral statements made
with the approval of an authorized executive officer of the company. Actual
results could differ materially from those projected or suggested in any
forward-looking statements as a result of a wide variety of factors and
conditions. These factors include those related to the filing, on July 15,
2003 by Loral and certain of its subsidiaries, of voluntary petitions for
reorganization under chapter 11 of title 11 of the United States Code in the
United States District Court for the Southern District of New York and
parallel insolvency proceedings in the Supreme Court of Bermuda in which
certain partners of KPMG were appointed as joint provisional liquidators.
Additional factors and conditions are also described in the section of the
company's annual report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31,
2004, entitled "Commitments and Contingencies," and the company's other
filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The reader is
specifically referred to these documents.
Contact:
John McCarthy
Loral Space & Communications
212/697-1105
--
--------------
Jacques :-)
www.spacepatches.info
OF MILITARY SATELLITE COMMUNICATIONS
Spanish Ministry of Defense Begins Operations
ROCKVILLE, MD - April 4, 2005 - XTAR today announced that XTAR-EUR, the
world's first satellite developed for commercial X-band services, has
completed its in-orbit testing and is now fully operational.
"The in-service of XTAR-EUR marks a new era in satellite communications for
government and military users around the world," said Dr. Denis Curtin,
chief operating officer, XTAR. "The satellite's coverage and transmission
capabilities, confirmed during in-orbit testing, have intensified the US and
other allied governments' desire to use the system, with planned
demonstrations for the US Army and Air Force scheduled in the coming weeks."
The Spanish Ministry of Defense (SMOD), XTAR's first customer, will soon
begin operations on its 238 MHz of X-band capacity on XTAR-EUR. The SMOD
will continue to use XTAR-EUR until its primary satellite, SPAINSAT, enters
service. In addition, XTAR will lease eight 72 MHz X-band transponders on
SPAINSAT, to be designated XTAR-LANT, in order to provide additional X-band
services and greater flexibility.
Built by Space Systems/Loral (SS/L), XTAR-EUR was launched February 12, 2005
aboard an Ariane 5 ECA rocket. Located at 29 degrees East longitude, the
satellite provides X-band coverage from Eastern Brazil and the Atlantic
Ocean, across all of Europe, Africa and the Middle East to as far east as
Singapore.
The XTAR-EUR satellite features on-board switching and multiple steerable
beams, allowing users access to X-band capacity as they travel anywhere
within the footprint of the satellite. XTAR-EUR is designed to work with
existing X-band terminals, as well as next generation X-band terminals that
feature antennas smaller than 2.4 meters.
XTAR-EUR is based on SS/L's space-proven 1300 platform and carries twelve
wideband and high-power X-band transponders. XTAR-EUR, which has a specified
service life of 15 years, maintains station-keeping and orbital stability by
using bipropellant propulsion and momentum-bias systems. In all, SS/L
satellites have amassed more than 1,100 years of on-orbit service.
XTAR, LLC is a new satellite communications company committed to serving the
long-haul communications, logistics and infrastructure requirements of the
U.S., Spanish and allied governments. The company is a joint venture between
Loral Space & Communications, which owns 56 percent, and HISDESAT, which
owns 44 percent. XTAR is headquartered in Rockville, Md., and has offices in
Arlington, Va., Palo Alto, Calif. and Madrid, Spain. For more information,
visit the XTAR web site at http://www.xtarllc.com.
HISDESAT Servicios Estrategicos S.A. is a Spanish company headquartered in
Madrid and incorporated on July 17, 2001. HISDESAT's aims are the
acquisition, operation and commercialization of Government-oriented space
systems, beginning with satellite communications in the X-band and Ka-band
frequencies. HISDESAT is owned jointly by Hispasat, S.A., the Spanish
commercial satellite services company, INSA (100% owned by the Spanish
government) and the leaders of Spain's space industries: EADS-CASA Espacio,
INDRA and SENER. HISDESAT will provide enhanced capabilities, including
Ka-band, for Spain's defense applications.
Space Systems/Loral is a premier designer, manufacturer, and integrator of
powerful satellites and satellite systems. SS/L also provides a range of
related services that include mission control operations and procurement of
launch services. Based in Palo Alto, Calif., the company has an
international base of commercial and government customers whose applications
include broadband digital communications, direct-to-home broadcast, defense
communications, environmental monitoring, and air traffic control. SS/L is
ISO 9001:2000 certified. For more information, visit the Space Systems/Loral
web site at http://www.ssloral.com.
Loral Space & Communications is a satellite communications company. In
addition to Space Systems/Loral, through its Skynet subsidiary Loral owns
and operates a fleet of telecommunications satellites used to broadcast
video entertainment programming, and for broadband data transmission,
Internet services and other value-added communications services.
# # #
This document contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of
Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of
the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. In addition, Loral Space &
Communications Ltd. or its representatives have made or may make
forward-looking statements, orally or in writing, which may be included in,
but are not limited to, various filings made by the company with the
Securities and Exchange Commission, press releases or oral statements made
with the approval of an authorized executive officer of the company. Actual
results could differ materially from those projected or suggested in any
forward-looking statements as a result of a wide variety of factors and
conditions. These factors include those related to the filing, on July 15,
2003 by Loral and certain of its subsidiaries, of voluntary petitions for
reorganization under chapter 11 of title 11 of the United States Code in the
United States District Court for the Southern District of New York and
parallel insolvency proceedings in the Supreme Court of Bermuda in which
certain partners of KPMG were appointed as joint provisional liquidators.
Additional factors and conditions are also described in the section of the
company's annual report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31,
2004, entitled "Commitments and Contingencies," and the company's other
filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The reader is
specifically referred to these documents.
Contact:
John McCarthy
Loral Space & Communications
212/697-1105
--
--------------
Jacques :-)
www.spacepatches.info