Yahsat No 3 satellite contemplated?
May 9, 2011
By Chris Forrester
Yahsat is the Abu Dhabi satellite operator which saw its first craft, Yahsat 1A, launched on an Ariane rocket in April, and is now contemplating ordering a third satellite. Yahsat already has its second satellite under construction for launch this coming winter.
Yahsat CEO Jassem Al Zaabi says his business is doing very well in terms of orders and revenue commitments, with demand being “overwhelming” in some areas, especially in terms of Ka-band orders.
Al Zaabi says while he is not sure whether Yahsat will order an extra satellite this year, the option of a ‘next generation’ craft is under consideration. He explains that one option could be entering into a joint-payload scheme.
Yahsat has such a deal in place with SES Astra, which markets Yahsat 1A’s DTH capacity. One problem highlighted by Al Zaabi is finding suitable orbital slots for any new capacity.