Intelsat 11/Optus D2

In another first for Orbital, two of the company’s STAR™ geostationary communications satellites were launched on the same Ariane 5 rocket from the Guiana space center in Kourou, French Guiana on October 5, 2007: Intelsat 11 for Intelsat and Optus D2 for SingTel Optus of Australia.

Intelsat 11 is the largest STAR satellite built to date and carries two communications payloads: a C-band payload to serve the continental United States, Mexico and South America, and a Ku-band payload which will provide DirecTV’s Latin America downlink coverage in Brazil, with spot coverage over portions of Mexico, Venezuela and the southern U.S.

Optus D2 will complement the Orbital-built D1 spacecraft that is currently in-orbit, providing Ku-band direct television broadcasting and fixed communications services to Australia and New Zealand. Both satellites will generate approximately 3.8 kilowatts of payload power to service 24 active transponders.

Intelsat 11 represents the fourth STAR spacecraft to be orbited for Intelsat and Optus D2 is the second for SingTel Optus of Australia. Orbital is under contract from Intelsat for two additional satellites: Intelsat 15 and Intelsat 16, as well as third satellite, Horizons-2, under a joint venture with JSAT of Japan. Orbital is also under contract from SingTel Optus for a third D-series communications satellite, Optus D3.

For more information:
Orbital’s Intelsat 11 Webpage
Orbital’s Optus Webpage
Intelsat 11 Fact Sheet
Optus Fact Sheet
Intelsat and Optus Images
Intelsat Webpage
Optus Webpage
Arianespace Webpage