spacetoday.net: KT Sat to buy two satellites from Thales Alenia

Posted: Tue, May 13, 2014, 6:48 AM ET (1048 GMT)
Koreasat 5A and 7 (Thales Alenia Space)

Thales Alenis Space has won a contract to build two communications satellite for Korean operator KT Sat, the companies announced Monday. Both Koreasat-5A and Koreasat-7 will be based on Thales Alenia's Spacebus 4000B2 model, each weighing about 3,500 kilograms at launch. Koreasat-5A will provide Ku-band coverage of parts of East Asia and the Middle East from 113 degrees east in GEO, while Koreasat-7 will carry Ku- and Ka-band transponders to serve East Asia and India from 116 degrees east. The satellites are expected to be launched in 2017, although no launch arrangements have been announced. Thales Alenia reportedly beat out Orbital Sciences for the satellite orders.