AMC-9 Successfully Launched from Baikonur

Proton K/Breeze M Combination Works Flawlessly

June 7, 2003 – Princeton, NJ – The AMERICOM-9 (AMC-9) satellite of SES AMERICOM, an SES GLOBAL company (Luxembourg and Frankfurt Stock Exchange: SESG), roared into space onboard a Russian Porton K booster from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan today at 4:15 a.m. (Baikonur time; 00:15 a.m. CET; 6:15 p.m. Eastern U.S. on June 6th). After 8 hours and 55 minutes, the spacecraft separated from the Breeze M and was placed into geostationary target orbit (11:15 a.m. Moscow time; 9:15 a.m. CET; 3:15 a.m. Eastern U.S.).

AMC-9 will become the sixteenth satellite in the AMERICOM fleet and is planned for operation from 85 degrees West orbital position, pending FCC approval. The hybrid C/Ku-band satellite will undergo payload and performance testing and is expected to be ready in July to support the transmission of digital video, data networking and telecommunications services throughout North America.. 

Dean Olmstead, President and CEO of SES AMERICOM, said, “We are delighted that AMC-9 has been launched; this spacecraft has an important mission supporting both commercial and government communication networks. Alcatel has done a great job on AMC-9; I am also looking forward to the delivery of the next two satellites they are building for us, AMC-12 and AMC-13, which will greatly enhance our inter-regional capability."

Mark Albrecht, ILS President, “I am delighted that Proton’s 300th mission was a success, and a success for one of our steadiest customers, SES AMERICOM. The launch of AMC-9 is the fifth by ILS for AMERICOM since we were established in 1995; we have another three satellites for AMERICOM in our manifest, two of which will be Atlas 2AS and one will be a Proton.”

Pascale Sourisse, President & CEO of Alcatel Space, said, “Alcatel is most proud of our relationship with AMERICOM, considered one of the most demanding spacecraft operators in the industry. I have every confidence that AMC-9 will demonstrate the high caliber collaboration we have established … in this case, the proof is in the satellite.” 

AMC-9 Satellite

Built by Alcatel Space, AMC-9 was manufactured in their Toulouse and Cannes facilities. The hybrid spacecraft is based on a Spacebus 3000B3 platform and at launch weighs 4,100 kg; the C-band payload features 24 – 36 MHz transponders with 20 watt SSPAs; the Ku-band payload features 24 – 36 MHz transponders with 110 watt TWTAs. Pending FCC approval, the spacecraft will operate from 85 degrees West and provide service throughout CONUS plus Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean and Central America. Receiver redundancy on the spacecraft is 4 for 2; amp redundancy on the C-band payload is 15 for 12, on the Ku-band side it is 16 for 12. AMC-9 is expected to reach geosynchronous orbit and its testing orbital location 81.9 degrees West by June 20th. After thorough testing of all of the on-board systems, AMC-9 will be ready for service in approximately six weeks.

Launch Summary

AMC-9 was launched by International Launch Services (ILS), the joint venture between Lockheed Martin of the U.S. and Khrunichev and RSC Energia of Russia. The Proton launch vehicle injected the satellite into geosynchronous transfer orbit, using a five-burn Breeze M mission design. The first three stages of the Proton used a standard ascent trajectory to place the Breeze M fourth stage, with the satellite, into a suborbital trajectory, from which the Breeze M then placed itself and the spacecraft into a circular parking orbit of 180 km (112 miles), inclined at 51.6 degrees. Then the satellite was propelled to its transfer orbit by additional burns of the Breeze M, which was followed by the satellite’s separation from the Breeze M. Next steps are a series of liquid apogee engine burns to raise perigee, lower inclination and circularize the orbit at the geostationary altitude of 36,000 km (22,300 miles). 

About SES AMERICOM

With 30 years' experience, SES AMERICOM, Inc. is recognized as a pioneer and leading provider of global satellite communications services currently operating 15 spacecraft in orbital positions providing service throughout the Americas, across Europe, over the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, and throughout Asia. As a member of the SES GLOBAL family, AMERICOM is able to provide end-to-end telecommunications solutions to any region in the world. SES AMERICOM's key customers include ABC Radio Networks, AT&T Alascom, AOL TimeWarner, British Telecom, Deutsche Welle, Discovery, Fox, TV Guide/Gemstar, Gannett, HBO, Hughes Network Systems, Merlin, NBC, The New York Times, NHK, PaxNet, PBS, TELE Greenland, TV Europa, Verestar, and Viacom. Additional details are available at http://www.ses-americom.com.

Through its two operating companies, AMERICOM and ASTRA, SES GLOBAL has a fleet of 28 satellites and can deliver broadband satellite services to more than 90% of the world's population. In addition, SES GLOBAL's strategic partnerships and participations in AsiaSat, NSAB, StarOne, AMERICOM Asia-Pacific and Nahuelsat combine to give entertainment, telecommunications, Internet, news and enterprise customers’ access to a fleet of 41 satellites. Additional details are available at http://www.ses-global.com.

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Contact: Monica Morgan, +1-609-933-8442 or +1-609-987-4143;