These new missions reinforce Arianespace's business relationship with GE Americom, and further strengthen the commercial launch services company's competitive position in North America.

GE Americom has entrusted eight of its satellites to Arianespace, beginning with Satcom C1 - which was launched in 1990. Three others subsequently have been launched by Arianespace, and two more - GE-7 and GE-8 - are slated for Ariane 5 or Ariane 4 flights in 2000.

"Once again, our availability and flexibility were the decisive factors," Arianespace Chairman and CEO Jean-Marie Luton said in commenting on this major business win.

"Customers know they can count on the European launcher to ensure their access to space. We enable our customers to deal with the unexpected events that are part and parcel of the space transportation industry. These latest contracts prove Arianespace's ability to quickly meet the commercial needs of telecom operators worldwide," added Luton.

The GE-4 satellite will be boosted into geostationary transfer orbit by an Ariane 44LP version of the workhorse Ariane 4 family. It will be launched from Europe's Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana this November or December.

GE-4 was built by Lockheed Martin Commercial Space Systems in Sunnyvale, California, using an A2100 platform. Weighing 3,900 kg. (8,580 lb.) at liftoff, it will be positioned at 101 deg. West over the Gulf of Mexico.

The satellite will provide C and Ku-band telecommunications services for the entire North American continent, from Canada to Mexico, as well as Ku-band services for South America.

With these two satellites - the eighth and ninth booked so far in 1999 - Arianespace's backlog now stands at 42 satellites to be launched, worth a total of 3.1 milliard euros ($ 3.5 billion).

Launcher - SpaceDaily Special Report

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Satellite Launch To Boost DTH In India
Calcutta, India (SPX) Dec 28, 2005
The successful launch Thursday of India's heaviest satellite from spaceport of Kourou in French Guyana may have boosted the country's space research efforts to yet another level, but it has also lifted the spirits of at least three Direct-To-Home televisions broadcasters, one of which has been waiting for years to launch its services in India.