Launch success for EUTELSAT 25B/Es'hail 1 satellite

DOHA, Qatar, KOURO, French Guiana and PARIS, August 29, 2013 /PRNewswire/ --

    -- Eutelsat and Es'hailSat joint satellite on course for 25.5° East to serve users across Middle East, North Africa and Central Asia

Eutelsat Communications (Euronext Paris: ETL) and Es'hailSat announce that their jointly owned EUTELSAT 25B/Es'hail 1 satellite was successfully launched tonight by an Ariane 5 rocket and is on course for geostationary orbit. Lift-off of the Ariane rocket carrying the 6.3 tonne satellite took place at 20.30 UTC. EUTELSAT 25B/Es'hail 1's solar panels were deployed within four hours of separation from the launch vehicle and preparations are underway for the first of four firings of its apogee motor to complete its journey into orbit. Eutelsat and Es'hailSat schedule to bring their jointly owned satellite into service at 25.5° East at the end of October.  

Commenting from Kourou in French Guiana, Michel de Rosen, Eutelsat CEO, said: "Tonight's launch is a milestone marking a three-year journey since Eutelsat sealed a strategic alliance with Es'hailSat, our Qatari partner, to pursue a ground-breaking joint satellite programme. We are now entering a new phase with the beginning of shared operations of a sophisticated and flexible communications satellite designed to deliver over 15 years of service to our two companies. Our thanks go to Arianespace, with whom Eutelsat has built a solid relationship over 30 years, for executing a flawless launch. We look forward to serving customers with the first-class resources this new satellite will provide and to further anchoring our commitment to markets in the Middle East, North Africa and Central Asia."  

Ali Ahmed Al-Kuwari, CEO of Es'hailSat, said: "We are immensely proud to have witnessed here in Kourou the birth of a new star over Qatar with the successful launch of our Es'hail 1 satellite. The Es'hailSat programme plays an important strategic role as Qatar works to meet the rapidly growing communications needs in the region. With the arrival of Es'hail 1, we have completed the first step in our mission to become a centre of excellence in the region and develop a sustainable national satellite industry. Qatar's first satellite will provide our strategic stakeholders and commercial customers with broadcasting independence, quality service and wide geographical coverage. We congratulate Arianespace on delivering a picture-perfect lift-off and look forward to working with Eutelsat's operations team to bring Es'hail 1 into service."

Based on the SSL 1300 platform of Space Systems/Loral, EUTELSAT 25B/Es'hail 1 is designed to serve broadcasters, businesses and public agencies in the Middle East, North Africa and Central Asia via capacity in the Ku and Ka-bands. It will replace the EUTELSAT 25C satellite at the key 25.5° East position to provide both superior geographic coverage and increased capacity to address dynamically expanding digital markets. Following EUTELSAT 25B/Es'hail 1's entry into service Eutelsat will redeploy its EUTELSAT 25C to another location where it will pursue commercial service.   

About Eutelsat Communications

With capacity commercialised on 32 satellites delivering reach of Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia, significant parts of the Americas and the Asia-Pacific, Eutelsat Communications (Euronext Paris: ETL, ISIN code: FR0010221234) is one of the world's leading satellite operators. As of 30 June 2013, Eutelsat's satellites were broadcasting more than 4,600 television channels to over 200 million cable and satellite homes in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. The Group's satellites also provide a wide range of services for TV contribution, corporate networks and fixed and mobile broadband markets. Headquartered in Paris, Eutelsat and its subsidiaries employ over 780 commercial, technical and operational professionals from 30 countries. http://www.eutelsat.com

About Es'hailSat

Es'hailSat, the Qatar Satellite Company was established in 2010. Based in Doha, Qatar, the company will own and operate satellites to serve broadcasters, businesses and governments. Es'hail 1, which shares a spacecraft platform with the European satellite operator Eutelsat, was successfully launched on 29^thAugust 2013. The satellite will provide television, voice, Internet, corporate and government services across the Middle East and North Africa region and beyond. Es'hail 2 is currently under development and will be located at the 26 degrees East TV broadcasting hotspot.

http://www.eshailsat.qa

Contact:Melanie Dickie Tel: +974-66-27-23-50  Email: mdickie@eshailsat.qa

SOURCE Eutelsat Communications; Es’hailSat