Orbital Inks Japanese Satellite Contract

Dulles, VA-based Orbital Sciences Corp. signed a contract to construct and launch two geosynchronous direct-to-home TV broadcast satellites for Japan's Broadcasting Satellite System Corp. (B-SAT). Following an open international competition, B-SAT first selected Orbital in November 1998 to negotiate a contract for the satellite program.

With the BSAT-2 contract now signed, Orbital will conclude agreements with vendors and will begin building the two spacecraft. Orbital's satellite design is based on the company's STAR lightweight geosynchronous spacecraft platform.

An affiliate of Japan's NHK and other major private broadcast networks, B-SAT currently operates the BSAT-1a and BSAT-1b satellites, which provide direct broadcast analog TV to more than 13 million customers throughout Japan. When the Orbital-built BSAT-2a and -2b satellites are launched in 2000 and 2001, respectively, they will more than double the channel capacity of B-SAT's current analog network, offering satellite-based digital DBS services to Japanese subscribers.

The BSAT-2 satellites will operate at Ku- band frequencies at B-SAT's 110°E longitude orbital slot.