OPTUS 10 SCHEDULED TO LAUNCH

Australian satellite provider Optus confirmed today that its state-of-the art Optus 10 satellite is scheduled for launch in late May 2014.

Over the past few days, the Optus and Space Systems/Loral (SSL) teams have completed the final pre-shipment review. The Optus 10 satellite has also been packed and loaded onto an Antonov heavy lift aircraft for transportation to the Arianespace launch base in French Guiana in South America.

Optus has been the leading provider of satellite services across Australia and New Zealand for almost 30 years and remains the only network provider in Australia to both own and operate its own fleet of satellites.

Optus 10 will be launched by Arianespace from the Guiana Space Centre in Kourou, French Guiana on board an Ariane-5 launch vehicle.

Optus 10 will be the sixth satellite launched by Arianespace for Optus. Arianespace launched Optus’ A3 satellite in 1987 followed by C1 in 2003, D1 in 2006, D2 in 2007 and D3 in 2009.

US-based satellite manufacturer SSL constructed the Optus 10 satellite in Palo Alto, California. This is the second Optus satellite supplied by SSL after the C1 satellite delivered to Optus and the Australian Department of Defence in 2003.

Optus 10 is designed to operate in the Ku-band FSS and BSS bands across Australia, New Zealand and Antarctic regions and will weigh about 3200 kilograms at launch.

Optus 10 will provide increased fleet resilience and significantly increase Optus’ fleet capacity providing increased bandwidth to support the delivery of video, data and voice services to corporate, enterprise and government customers. The satellite is expected to have a life span well in excess of 15 years.

Optus 10 satellite in manufacturer SSL’s compact antenna test range in Palo Alto, California.

Optus 10 satellite undergoing centre of gravity / moment of inertia measurements testing at manufacturer SSL’s facilities in Palo Alto, California.

Media contacts

Gabrielle Crittenden / Derek Lau
Optus Corporate Affairs
+61 2 8082 7850
media@optus.com.au

Wendy Lewis
Space Systems/Loral (SSL)
+1 650 704 7502
wendy.lewis@sslmda.com

Mario de Lepine
Arianespace
+33 1 6087 6015
m.delepine@arianespace.com