OTTAWA – Telesat has chosen Space Systems/Loral to manufacturer its new Anik G1 satellite and International Launch Services (ILS) for its launch into geostationary orbit, scheduled for the second half of 2012.
The powerful new multipurpose bird will carry 16 transponders operating in the extended Ku-band for Shaw Direct, as the DTH company announced in March. Co-located at the 107.3 degrees West Longitude orbital location with the Anik F1R satellite Shaw Direct presently uses, the satellite could boost Shaw Direct’s satellite television services by 30%.
Anik G1 also will also have satellite capacity operating in the X-band frequencies with geographic coverage of the Americas and part of the Pacific Ocean, making it the first commercial satellite with substantial X-band coverage of the Pacific. X-band capacity is used by civil and military agencies worldwide and demand is growing as governments continue to increase their reliance on commercial satellites.
In addition, Anik G1 will provide expansion and follow-on capacity for Telesat’s Anik F1 satellite at the 107.3 West orbital position, replacing Anik F1’s Ku-band capacity and doubling the number of C-band transponders. Anik F1 is a highly utilized spacecraft covering South America, one of the fastest growing satellite services markets in the world.
"Anik G1 will allow Telesat to capture the strong demand coming from North American DTH services, the fast growing government sector, and the burgeoning Latin American market," said Telesat president and CEO, Dan Goldberg, in a statement. "In combining three distinct service capabilities on one satellite – high power extended Ku-band for DTH subscribers in Canada, an innovative X-band payload for government applications, and expansion capacity over South America – Anik G1 will be an important addition to Telesat’s global fleet and allows us to sustain our growth going forward. We look forward to working closely with SS/L and ILS – two longstanding partners – on building and launching Anik G1 and bringing its new services to the market."
