SES, QuetzSat-1 Satellite Fully Operational

Nov 14, 2011

SES S.A. announces that the QuetzSat-1 satellite is fully operational and ready for service as of November 10th. QuetzSat-1 was successfully launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on board an ILS Proton Breeze M booster on September 30th, 2011.

QuetzSat-1 is fully contracted to a subsidiary of EchoStar Corporation. The spacecraft is an all Ku-band high-powered (20-kilowatt) communications broadcasting satellite with coverage of Mexico, USA, and Central America. QuetzSat-1 is based on Space Systems/Loral's highly reliable 1300 satellite platform and carries 32 Ku-band transponders. It provides the flexibility to support a broad range of applications and technology advances and provides high power for advanced DTH television. The satellite is designed to deliver service for 15 years or longer.

Romain Bausch, President and CEO of SES: "We are delighted to provide EchoStar with a state-of-the-art new satellite to support their service offer to their customers and to continue our longstanding partnership. QuetzSat-1 is the first satellite fully leased to EchoStar, and joins three satellites fully leased by SES to EchoStar's sister company DISH Network."