International Launch Services (ILS) and SES (Paris:SESG)(LuxX:SESG)
today announced the extension to December 31, 2014 of the SES Multi
Launch Agreement (MLA) and the addition of a sixth firm ILS Proton
mission through 2014. The MLA was signed in June 2007 between ILS and
SES Satellite Leasing Limited, SESs satellite procurement and leasing
company in the Isle of Man.
The first SES launch under the MLA was the successful ILS Proton launch
of SES-1 on April 24, 2010. In addition, two of the four SES missions
scheduled in 2011 and 2012 for the launches of the SES-3, SES-4,
QuetzSat-1 and SES-5/ASTRA 4B satellites will be part of the MLA. The
remaining three MLA missions will be assigned as needed and in principle
cover the 2012 2014 time frame. In addition, Proton will provide
back-up launch capability for SES missions in 2011 as part of the
increased flexibility and improved schedule assurances under the Multi
Launch Agreement.
The Proton vehicle, built by ILS majority owner Khrunichev State
Research and Production Space Center, is Russias premier heavy-lift
launcher and has a heritage of 359 flights since the 1960s.
Frank McKenna, President of ILS, stated: SES had the foresight, several
years ago, to create this innovative agreement to provide launch
diversity and schedule assurance for the majority of their launch needs.
With this agreement, SES has taken a sound business approach, in the
form of a partnership, to create flexible arrangements to deploy their
fleet. This expansion of the MLA further underscores the confidence that
SES has in ILS Proton. With these new missions, the ILS and Khrunichev
team look forward to delivering the same quality and reliability that
SES has counted on for 15 years.
Romain Bausch, President and CEO of SES, concurred, The Multi Launch
Agreement has allowed us to support the continuous development and
replacement of our global satellite fleet, giving us an additional
competitive edge. With ILS, we have a long history together and we look
forward to continue the collaborating with the ILS and Khrunichev teams
on Proton in the framework of the extended agreement.
About ILS and Khrunichev
ILS is a world leader in providing launch services for global satellite
operators and offers a complete array of services and support, from
contract signing through mission management and on-orbit delivery. ILS
has exclusive rights to market the Proton vehicle to commercial
satellite operators worldwide and is a U.S. company headquartered in
Reston, VA., near Washington, D.C. For more information, visit www.ilslaunch.com.
Khrunichev, which holds the majority interest in ILS, is one of the
cornerstones of the Russian space industry. Khrunichev manufactures the
Proton system and is developing the Angara launch system. The Proton
launches from facilities at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, and
has a heritage of 358 missions since 1965. Khrunichev includes, among
its branches, a number of key manufacturers of launch vehicle and
spacecraft components in Moscow and in other cities of the Russian
Federation. For more information, visit www.khrunichev.com.
About SES
SES (Paris:SESG)(LuxX:SESG) wholly owns the market-leading satellite
operators SES ASTRA and SES WORLD SKIES and participations in Ciel in
Canada QuetzSat in Mexico, as well as a strategic participation in
satellite infrastructure start-up O3b Networks. SES providesoutstanding
satellite communications solutions via a global fleet of 44 satellites.
For further information: www.ses.co
Source: Business Wire