Intelsat 23

Orbital Sciences Corporation announced in December 2009 that it has been selected by Intelsat to design, build and deliver the Intelsat 23 (IS-23) commercial communications satellite. The satellite will be based on Orbital’s flight-proven Star-2 platform. The IS-23 satellite will generate 4.8 kilowatts of payload power and carry 15 active Ku-band and 24 active C-band transponders. The IS-23 satellite will be located in orbit at 53 degrees West longitude following its launch in late 2011. The spacecraft will provide communications services for the Americas, Europe, and Africa. The IS-23 satellite is expected to have a useful life of at least 15 years.