Arabsat-4A Launch – CEO Clarification

Commenting on what has been reported lately in the media and news agencies about the launch of Arabsat-4A – Eng. Khalid Ahmed Balkhyour (CEO of Arabsat) declared that Arabsat would like to clarify the following:

As part of Arabsat’s new satellite launching program, the 1st satellite of Arabsat’s 4th generation satellites – Arabsat-4A - has been launched in the morning of March 01, 2006 from the Baikonour Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan. According to the available technical information released by the Russian Space Agency, the Proton Breeze M vehicle carrying Arabsat-4A has failed to place the satellite into its correct orbit. Arabsat is still actively pursuing all means of coordinating efforts with the satellite manufacturing company (EADS - ASTRIUM) and the launcher (ILS, International Launch Services) to identify what were the reasons that precluded the PROTON rocket from injecting the satellite in its correct orbit.

Eng. Balkhyour also emphasized that Arabsat is always highly keen on serving its customers – in the Arab world and the areas within its satellite coverage – in the best possible way by offering state-of-the-art reliable services for broadcast and telecommunications: "Arabsat operates a full-fledged fleet of satellites with reliable back-up plans ready for immediate implementation. BADR-4 is already manufactured and is in its final preparation stage for launch in the very coming months”, he stated.

“Arabsat is already in close contact with satellite manufacturers among the most reliable ones in the business to handle the mission of manufacturing the 5th Generation satellites, which will be launched in the coming years”, he added.