Alcatel Alenia Space has announced that it has signed a contract with the Russian Satellite Communications Company (RSCC), the state-owned satcom operator, to provide telecommunication payloads for the Express MD-1 and Express MD-2 satellites built by Khrunichev.
Express MD-1 and MD-2 will each be fitted with eight C-band and one L-band transponders, along with a repeater panel and an antenna farm, to provide TV, voice and data transmission and radio broadcasting services over an area spanning Russia and most of the CIS countries. Express MD-1 is slated for launch at the end of 2007 jointly with the Express AM44 satellite.
Carlo Alberto Penazzi, the CEO of Alcatel Alenia Space in Italy, said: "We are particularly proud of this new contract. Not only does it reflect our ongoing commercial satcom business growth, it is also clear recognition of our technological expertise and product reliability, especially coming from a major satellite market such as Russia."
"The contract signed is the RSCC' next step heading toward the development of the state satellite constellation for the sake of Russian and foreign customers. The new Express-MD1 and Express-MD2 satellites in orbit will allow RSCC to pursue a more flexible marketing policy on developing the satellite business, including the existing network backup, and to offer advanced communications and broadcasting services both in Russia and abroad," stressed Iouri Izmailov, RSCC' acting Director General.
The payloads will be assembled by Alcatel Alenia Space in Italy and will be delivered to Khrunichev starting in the third quarter of 2007.
This agreement follows previous contracts signed by Alcatel Alenia Space for the supply of Express AM and MD class satellite payloads, and further bolsters the company's presence in Russia. Since the mid-1990s, when Alcatel Alenia Space kicked off its industrial collaboration with Russia, the company has won contracts for 12 communications payloads dedicated to the Russian market.
