SIRIUS 4 Satellite to Launch in 2007 with 54 Transponders

Nordic Satellite AB, which owns and operates satellites in the SIRIUS system serving Europe, has contracted with International Launch Services (ILS) to launch its next generation SIRIUS 4 satellite in Q2 2007.


The high-powered SIRIUS 4 spacecraft, which will feature 52 Ku-band transponders, as well as a 2-transponder Ka-band payload, is currently being built by Lockheed Martin Commercial Space Systems (LMCSS). The first mission of SIRIUS 4 will be to provide replacement capacity for NSAB's existing SIRIUS 2 and SIRIUS 3 satellites in the Nordic and Baltic markets as well as to enhance coverage in Eastern Europe and Russia. This mission is supported by 46 active Ku-band transponders in the BSS and FSS frequency bands. As a second mission SIRIUS 4 will provide one wide-beam Ka-band transponder for interactive applications in Scandinavia and the Baltic States. The third mission of SIRIUS 4 will be to provide a sub-Saharan Africa beam complementing existing (ASTRA 2B) or upcoming (ASTRA 4A) African coverage within the SES GLOBAL fleet. This mission will be supported by a payload consisting of 6 active Ku-band transponders and an additional Ka-band transponder for inter-connections between Africa and Europe.
http://www.nsab-sirius.com