Thales Alenia Space has signed a contract with Norway’s Telenor Satellite Broadcasting for the construction and delivery of a new GEO communications satellite, THOR 6. It is the first Thales Alenia Space satellite ordered by Telenor Satellite Broadcasting.
THOR 6 will provide high power direct-to-home (DTH) television broadcasting services over Nordics and Central European regions from a one degree west longitude orbital location. It will replace THOR III, which is set to retire in 2010, and also provide additional transponder capacity.
As prime contractor, Thales Alenia Space will be in charge of the design, construction and test activities for THOR 6. Based on Thales Alenia Space Spacebus 4000B2 platform, THOR 6 will be fitted with 36 active Ku-band transponders and will have a launch mass of less than 3 tonnes. THOR 6 is scheduled to start services in summer 2009 with an operational lifetime of 15 years. This completes the replacement program of Telenor Satellite Broadcasting’s THOR II and THOR III satellites.
According to Telenor Satellite Broadcasting, with the launch of THOR 6, 1º West will have a total of 71 transponders, providing capacity to facilitate organic growth in the Nordic region and expansion into Central and Eastern Europe.
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