New multi-mission satellite to deliver broadcast, broadband and telecommunications services over Europe, Middle East, Africa and central AsiaTELEO payload for new generation optical communicationsEighth Eurostar satellite for Arabsat and first Eurostar NeoRiyadh, 18 August 2020 – Airbus has been contracted by Arabsat, one of the world’s top satellite operators, to build BADR-8, their new generation telecommunications satellite. BADR-8 will replace and increase Arabsat’s capacity and augment its core business at the BADR hotspot 26°E.The BADR-8 satellite will be based on the-state-of-the-art Airbus Eurostar Neo electric orbit raising platform giving access to a wide range of launchers.BADR-8 will also include the innovative Airbus developed TELEO optical communications payload demonstrator. This payload will enable very high capacity analogue optical feeder link communications, as part of the development by Airbus of a new generation of optical communications technology in space to be integrated in its future commercial products, which is highly robust against jamming.Jean-Marc Nasr, Head of Space Systems, said: “This important contract with our long-standing customer Arabsat has a special significance for Airbus Defence and Space. It is the first seventh-generation Arabsat satellite and the first Eurostar Neo satellite we are building for Arabsat after six previous Eurostar satellites. BADR-8 incorporates the best of our expertise and technologies, including a very innovative optical communications hosted payload. This further strengthens our continuing strategic partnership with the Arab Satellite Communications Organisation, which has been connecting people by satellite across the Middle East and the world for more than 40 years.”Khalid Balkheyour, President and CEO of Arabsat said “We are delighted to sign this contract with our long term partner Airbus. It marks another milestone in our objectives to provide customers with premium satellite technology with the highest level of performance, and to expand reliability and service security. BADR-8 will be joining our Badr-network at Arabsat 26°E hotspot, expanding our service over EMEA region.”The satellite is scheduled for launch in 2023 and its electric propulsion system will enable it to reach geostationary orbit in four to five months, depending on the type of launcher used. It has been designed to remain in service in orbit for more than 15 years. The satellite will have a launch mass of around 4.5 tonnes and power of 17 kW.
September 19 2022Arabsat and SpaceX sign contract to launch 7A satellite, Falcon 9 will carry Arabsat 7A to its orbital position 30.5 EastArab Satellite Communications Organization (Arabsat) announced today that it has selected SpaceX’s Falcon 9 to launch its new satellite, Arabsat 7A. Arabsat 7A is the first Arabsat 7th generation satellite and is considered one of the latest satellite technologies in terms of manufacturing, payload, efficiency of performance, and coverage flexibility. This announcement marks the third time that Arabsat has selected SpaceX for launch: first in 2019 with Falcon Heavy’s launch of Arabsat and SpaceX will also launch Arabsat’s BADR-8 satellite on Falcon 9 next year. Al-Hamedi Al-Anezi, CEO of Arabsat, said, "We value our work with SpaceX. The signing of this agreement is an extension of the trusted relationship with SpaceX that has been built over the past few years since the launch of Arabsat 6A. Arabsat 7A will be one of Arabsat’s first software-defined payload satellites, offering high throughput Ku-band capacity to help Arabsat expand its services into several verticals to enhance its portfolio of products and solutions over the Middle East, Africa and beyond, to parts of Europe.”“We’re excited to be selected for our third Arabsat launch,” said SpaceX Vice President of Commercial Sales Tom Ochinero. “Having worked together on the Falcon Heavy launch of Arabsat 6A and the upcoming launch of BADR-8, our work with Arabsat is a testament to our Falcon fleet’s reliability and safety.”
Thermal vacuum tests ✅Airbus-built BADR-8 telecoms satellite 🛰️ for @Arabsat, currently going through intensive tests in our cleanrooms, is one of the first to be built on the new #EurostarNeo platform and is set for launch in 2023 🚀🔜 Mechanical Tests in December 2022
This new satellite aims to accompany the accelerated changes in the telecommunications sector and the future needs of the market, he added, noting that the satellite Badr-8 will be launched in May of this year.
