SES announces NSS-12 satellite contract awarded to Space Systems/Loral

[BGonaSTICK]

SES NEW SKIES, an SES company (Euronext Paris and Luxembourg Stock Exchange: SESG) yesterday unveiled plans to further enlarge its satellite fleet through a new spacecraft procurement with Space Systems/Loral, a subsidiary of Loral Space & Communications (NASDAQ: LORL). The procurement of the NSS-12 satellite will be made by SES Satellite Leasing Ltd. and the satellite will be commercially operated by SES NEW SKIES. Terms of the procurement contract, the first by an SES company with Space Systems/Loral, remain confidential.

The hybrid NSS-12 satellite that Space Systems/Loral will produce is slated for operation at the orbital position of 57° East by mid-2009. NSS-12 will carry 40 x 36 MHz equivalent C-Band and 48 x 36 MHz equivalent Ku-band transponders and will serve as a replacement for the NSS-8 spacecraft which was destroyed on its launch pad in January of this year. NSS-12 is designed to provide SES NEW SKIES with additional capacity to commercialise and high-power coverage to support the expansion requirements of existing customers while also addressing the growing demand for services in Africa, the Middle East and India. NSS-12 will have a minimum expected life-time of 15 years. A specific launch vehicle has not yet been chosen.

States Rob Bednarek, President and CEO of SES NEW SKIES: “SES NEW SKIES looks forward to our collaboration with Space Systems/Loral on the NSS-12 program. We are confident that Loral will deliver a quality spacecraft for our use at this important orbital location. We are proud that as promised, in a few short months since the NSS-8 launch failure, we have been able to quickly define, specify and now arrange a replacement, which demonstrates the commitment and strength of SES and SES NEW SKIES.”

“As the leader in providing high-power commercial satellites, Space Systems/Loral is especially well-positioned to provide SES NEW SKIES with a spacecraft that will help it meet the growing demand for fixed satellite services around the world,” said John Celli, President and Chief Operating Officer, Space Systems/Loral. “Our companies share the same commitment to performance, reliability and service and we look forward to this and other opportunities to work together to expand the world’s ability to communicate.”

NSS-12 now joins NSS-9, a C-band only satellite which is already under construction and slated for launch in late 2008, as another important element of the expanding fleet available to SES NEW SKIES. In addition to these two satellites, SES is actively planning the procurement of a second hybrid C- and Ku-band satellite which will likely be configured to operate from a number of different orbital slots. The company expects that a firm order for this yet to be named spacecraft will be placed within the next months.

Mr. Bednarek is confident that SES NEW SKIES’ fleet development plans demonstrate a long-term commitment to meet customer needs: “Our new satellites, together with our existing constellation of seven in-orbit spacecraft, allow us to continue to support and expand truly global coverage for our customers, regardless of their location or service needs. Coupled with our history of flexibility, cost-effectiveness and customer focus we believe SES NEW SKIES will become the preferred satellite capacity provider to an ever growing family of customers.”