NSAB is 75 percent owned by SES ASTRA, an SES GLOBAL company (Euronext Paris and Luxembourg Stock Exchange: SESG) and 25 percent owned by Swedish Space Corp. (SSC). The SIRIUS 4 procurement and launch mission are being managed by SES ASTRA on behalf of NSAB.

The contract calls for a launch on board the Proton vehicle from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan in the second quarter of 2007. The high-powered SIRIUS 4 spacecraft, which will feature 52 Ku-band transponders, as well as a 2-transponder Ka-band payload, is currently under construction with Lockheed Martin Commercial Space Systems (LMCSS) for operation at NSAB's orbital position of 5 degrees East. ILS is a joint venture of Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) of Bethesda, Md., and Khrunichev State Research and Production Space Center of Russia, the builder of the Proton vehicle.

Mark Albrecht, President of ILS, stated: "We are most delighted to have NSAB join the long list of international satellite operators that have selected ILS and Proton to provide their launch services. We look forward to working with the NSAB team, which includes SES ASTRA and Lockheed Martin Commercial Space Systems, on this program. We are also pleased to again work with the SES GLOBAL family of companies. With SIRIUS 4, ILS has launched or has contracts to launch 15 satellites for the SES GLOBAL companies."

Per Norman, General Manager of NSAB, said: "SIRIUS 4's advanced broadcasting capabilities and extensive reach into the Nordic, Baltic and Eastern European markets as well as sub-Saharan Africa will further complement the SES satellite fleet covering Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Given Proton's impressive track record of successful launches for 12 satellites in the SES fleet, we are very comfortable to entrust ILS with this important launch mission."