McLEAN, VA, Sept. 19, 2000 – Asia Satellite Telecommunications Company Ltd. (AsiaSat) signed a contract with International Launch Services (ILS) to launch the AsiaSat 4 satellite aboard a Lockheed Martin-built Atlas III.
"We are pleased to have AsiaSat as a continued customer and appreciate their vote of confidence in the Atlas III," said Dr. Mark J. Albrecht, ILS President. "We look forward to working with AsiaSat and providing them with another successful mission."
The Hughes Space and Communications-built AsiaSat 4 satellite, scheduled for launch in the first half of 2002, will provide broadcast, telecommunications and broadband multimedia services to the Asia Pacific region, as well as direct-to-home broadcast services to Hong Kong from its orbital position of 122 degrees East longitude.
"AsiaSat 4 marks another major milestone in AsiaSat's expanding satellite service for the Asia Pacific region," said Peter Jackson, AsiaSat Chief Executive Officer. "The solid performance of the Atlas launch vehicle and the exceptional service benefits ILS offers made our choice easy."
In its continued commitment to providing superior customer service, ILS offers mutual backup assurance between the Atlas and Proton launch systems. As the only company with two independent launch vehicles and two dedicated launch sites, ILS can provide its customers the peace-of-mind of a launch when they need it.
The Atlas family has achieved 52 consecutive, successful flights and the Atlas II series has a 100% success rate. The Atlas II, IIA, IIAS, and IIIA are the only launch systems with a continuous first flight mission success history. The AsiaSat 4 contract brings to 15 the number of contracts signed in 2000 for future launch contracts.
ILS is a joint venture stock company established in 1995 to jointly market Proton and the Lockheed Martin Astronautics-built Atlas to the worldwide satellite launch market. ILS is owned by Lockheed Martin Commercial Launch Services and the Lockheed Khrunichev Energia International joint venture. ILS is headquartered in McLean, Va.