Thales Alenia Space announced on the 26th of November that it has signed a contract with ARSAT Empresa Argentina de Soluciones Satelitales SA, to supply the payload for the third geostationary telecom satellite manufactured in Argentina, ARSAT-3, as well as options for two additional payloads.
ARSAT, with headquarters in Buenos Aires, acting as Main Contractor and leading the GEO communication satellite development in Argentina, is using a similar industrial organization with INVAP, the Rio Negro Province high-tech powerhouse located in San Carlos de Bariloche, acting as Prime Constructor, teaming with Thales Alenia Space in continuity of the successful partnership already took in place on ARSAT-1 and ARSAT-2 both operational in orbit.
ARSAT-3 is slated to enter service in 2019, and will be positioned at 81 degrees West as a baseline. It will provide high speed data, Internet and television transmission services for South America. Weighing about 3 tons at launch, it will offer a design life of 15 years. The payload will be fitted with 12 Ku-band and 8 Ka-band operative transponders.
“We are delighted with this great opportunity to deepen the strategic relation with both Argentina’s Satellite manufacturer ARSAT, and INVAP to continue the close industrial cooperation initiated on ARSAT-1.and successfully confirmed on ARSAT-2” said Jean Loïc Galle, President and CEO of Thales Alenia Space”
This contract once again confirms Thales Alenia Space’s relevant strategy to set up industrial partnerships, its ability to work with other space companies and adapt to the widely diverse technical characteristics of different platform designs. It also reinforce our historical presence in Argentina: the Nahuel-1 satellite was already built by Thales Alenia Space.
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