SES NEW SKIES, an SES company (Paris:SESG) (LuxX:SESG) regrets to
announce the failure of the launch of NSS-8, the sixth satellite in
the SES NEW SKIES fleet, onboard a Zenith-3SL launch vehicle, and the
resulting total loss of the satellite.
SES NEW SKIES is currently not in a position to comment on the
possible causes of the mission failure and is awaiting the results of
the official investigation which is in the process of being installed.
NSS-8 was built by Boeing, with launch services from the Odyssey
Platform in the equatorial Pacific provided by Sea Launch. The
spacecraft was intended to operate at SES NEW SKIES orbital position
of 57 degrees East to replace the existing NS-703 satellite.
The launch failure of NSS-8 means that NSS-703 will now stay at 57
degrees East in order to continue to serve existing customers until at
least 2009.
SES NEW SKIES has already initiated the construction of NSS-9 for
launch in 2009 into the Pacific Ocean Region. NSS-9 is intended to
free up NSS-5 which in turn will then be free to relocate to 57
degrees to replace NSS-703.
The NSS-8 launch failure is thus not expected to have an impact on
existing customers or revenues.