Abu Dhabi’s Yahsat has signed a partnership agreement with US-based Orbital Science for the design and manufacture of its third satellite, due to be launched in the fourth quarter of 2016.
The satellite operator, a wholly owned subsidiary of Mubadala, also signed an agreement with Arianespace for the launch of the satellite – named Al Yah 3 – from a launch pad in French Guiana.
The new satellite will expand Yahsat’s Ka-band coverage – which offers satellite broadband and backhaul services for telecoms networks – to an additional 17 countries and 600 million users across Latin America and Africa. This will include coverage for more than 95 per cent of the population in Brazil.
“Being a part of this programme is very important to our team because it enables us to contribute to the development of the advanced technology industry in the UAE,” said Orbital’s chairman, David Thompson. “We look forward to working with the Yahsat team on this high-throughput and lightweight GEOStar satellite.”
Yahsat’s existing satellites, Y1A and Y1B, were built by a consortium of EADS Astrium and Thales Alenia Space.
Arianespace previously worked with YahSat for the launch of Y1A in April 2011.
“Having worked with Arianespace for the launch of Y1A and with Orbital’s impressive track record of building more than 150 satellites that have amassed more than 1,000 years of in-orbit experience, both companies have proven their ability to meet and exceed our expectations for world-class connectivity in Africa and Brazil,” said Jassem Bu Ataba Al Zaabi, the chairman of Yahsat’s board of directors.
The partnership agreements will provide on-the-job training platforms for Yahsat’s Emirati engineers, together with UAE students, throughout the build and launch process.
Yahsat, the first satellite company in the region to offer both military and commercial services, formally unveiled plans to launch its third satellite in June.
jeverington@thenational.ae
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