Satellite communications provider Arabsat plans to launch its fifth satellite into orbit in the second quarter of 2008, its president and CEO said yesterday. The Saudi-based intergovernmental organisation, which is currently developing a plan to go public, will take delivery of its Badr-6 satellite in the first quarter of next year and will put it in space in middle of the year, according to Khalid Balkheyour.
Arabsat has also commissioned the design of an additional three communications satellites to be launched in 2009 and 2010. It currently broadcasts 240 channels to 130 million viewers. In November 2006 it successfully launched Badr-4, a geo-stationary satellite providing bandwidth for broadcasters in the Middle East and Africa.
The launch comes after the failure of one of its satellites, Arabsat-4a, to make it into the designated orbit earlier in the year.
(Source: Gulf News/R Netherlands Media Network Weblog)