CAPE CANAVERAL, Florida – Space
Exploration Technologies (SpaceX) has signed contracts with Asia
Broadcast Satellite (ABS) and Satélites Mexicanos (Satmex) for two
launches aboard SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket.
“This announcement marks
SpaceX’s first launch contract in Mexico. It is also the second launch
contract in Asia that we have signed in the last month,” said Elon
Musk, SpaceX CEO and Chief Technology Officer.
“Asia and Latin America represent two of the world’s hottest markets
for commercial satellite operators. SpaceX is ready to provide them
with the solutions they need to add capacity and meet growing demand.”
“We are very pleased to
have SpaceX, the world’s fastest growing space launch company, as our
launch partner for Satmex 7. Satmex is positioned for a new era of
growth with the anticipated launches of Satmex 8
in 2012 and Satmex 7 in late 2014 or early 2015. The addition of Satmex
7 (C and Ku band satellite) will expand our fleet to three satellites
covering the Americas. Satmex 7 will be a cornerstone of the Satmex
fleet designed to provide direct-to-home (DTH)
and data services with increased power levels and improved elevation
angles from any location within the coverage. These benefits will
provide better performance to deliver media content directly to homes as
well as broadband services,” said Patricio Northland,
CEO of Satmex.
“Over the past decade,
we have seen launch prices increase dramatically, making access to space
out of reach for many programs. As one of the fastest growing
satellite operators in the world, ABS requires access
to space that combines affordability and lift capacity for our future
satellite programs,” said Tom Choi, CEO of ABS. “Together with Satmex,
our co-launch partner, we embark upon an innovative prospect of dual
launching four medium-powered satellites on two
launches on the Falcon 9. We are extremely happy to be working with
Satmex and SpaceX to dramatically realign the cost structure of space
access in order to bring the affordable capacity demanded by our
customers.”
SpaceX will launch the
two companies’ geosynchronous telecommunications satellites on two
separate launches from Cape Canaveral, Florida. The launches will take
place in late 2014 or early 2015 and the fourth
quarter of 2015.
