Space Systems/Loral announced today the delivery of a new satellite, built for SES (News - Alert) to the Baikonur Space Center in Kazakhstan. The SES-5 is the third satellite provided to SES by Space Systems/Loral in the past nine months. It will be launched via a Proton Breeze M three stage commercial launch vehicle.

The SES-5 is designed to bring extensive coverage for Direct-To-Home services, broadband, maritime communications, GSM backhaul and VSAT applications. 36 active Ku-band transponders and two Ku-band beams will provide coverage for clients in northern Europe and Sub-Saharan Africa. Two C-band beams will allow for both hemispheric and global coverage, and communication between Europe and Africa will be made easier through Ka-band uplink capability.

SES-5 will also carry an L-band payload for the European Geostationary Navigation Overlay Service or EGNOS, a satellite based augmentation system. EGNOS, put in place by the European Space Agency, the European Commision, and EUROCONTROL, provides feedback on the accuracy of GPS systems throughout Europe.

SES, one of the top satellite operators in the world, already manages a fleet of 50 geostationary satellites. The services provided by SES include communications for broadcasting, content and internet service providers, mobile and fixed network operators, worldwide businesses and governments.

Said John Celli, president of Space Systems/Loral: "We would like to thank SES for giving us the opportunity to build this complex spacecraft that combines multiple frequency bands and coverage areas to help SES bring entertainment and vital communications services to improve the human experience in several important regions."