Cairo-based Nilesat is close to placing the order for its new 201 satellite.





Saleh Hamza, Nilesat deputy chair and head of engineering
While the company is declining to be specific about the prime contractor, it is understood that the most recent set of detailed submissions came from Thales Alenia, Orbital Sciences and Space Systems/Loral. The new satellite will launch in early 2010 to the 7 deg West orbital slot.

The order will be placed almost exactly 10 years following the launch of Nilesat 101, its first craft, on April 28 1997. Nilesat 101 is a 12-transponder craft which still has plenty of life left in her, and her design life of 15 years still has five years – and more – left to run. NileSsat 101 (and her “sister” craft 102) came from Matra Marconi (as was) as prime contractor with Alcatel providing the payload.

As at ten days ago the enhanced Nilesat fleet was carrying 415 video channels, of which about 300 are free-to-air, and not aligned to either of the two pay-TV broadcasters on Nilesat (Arab Radio & Television, and Showtime Arabia). Ten years ago the Middle East broadcasting revolution started with the launch of Nilesat 101. Arabsat was already in position, of course, and already carrying analogue channels from the likes of MBC, LBCi and others, but it was Nilesat’s launch and commitment to an all-digital MPEG2 transmission system that really kick-started the boom in broadcasting that we see above the Middle East today.

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