The Koreasat 7 satellite will be boosted into a geostationary transfer orbit (GTO) by an Ariane 5 rocket from the Guiana Space Center, Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana, in 2016.

Koreasat is the third satellite that Arianespace will have launched for KTsat, following Koreasat 3 in 1999 and Koreasat 6 in 2010. Arianespace launched another Korean satellite in 2010, COMS, a multimission spacecraft for the Korean space agency, KARI (Korea Aerospace Research Institute).

Koreasat 7 will be built by Thales Alenia Space. Weighing about 3,500 kg at launch, and offering payload power of approximately 7kW, Koreasat-7 will be fitted with Ku and Ka-band transponders. Its coverage zone will include Korea, the Philippines, Indonesia and India. Positioned at 113° East, Koreasat 7 will provide broadcasting and telecommunications services.

Commenting on this latest contract, Arianespace Chairman and CEO Stéphane Israël said: “I would like to thank the operator KTsat for having once again chosen Arianespace, confirming the quality and competitiveness of our launch services. Their selection also reflects the mutual trust that has been established between our two companies over the last 15 years. Arianespace is committed to offering top-flight service to KTsat.”

About Arianespace

Arianespace is the world’s leading satellite launch company, providing innovation to its customers since 1980. Backed by 21 shareholders and the European Space Agency, the company offers an international workforce renowned for a culture of commitment and excellence.

As of September 8, 2014, 218 Ariane launches, 35 Soyuz launches (9 at the Guiana Space Centre and 26 at Baikonur with Starsem) and three Vega launches have been performed. The company’s headquarters is in Evry, near Paris, and has local offices in Washington DC (United States), Tokyo (Japan) and Singapore.