THOR 6 launch deemed a success
(Kourou, October, 29, 2009) Telenor Satellite Broadcasting today announced the successful launch of its new geo stationary satellite, THOR 6.
THOR 6 was successfully launched from the Guiana Spaceport at 20:00 UTC, October, 29, onboard the Ariane 5 ECA launcher. This is Arianespace’s 34th consecutive successful launch.
“I was delighted to see THOR 6 successfully launched into geostationary transfer orbit and look forward to entering commercial service and further developing the 1 degree west hotspot, which already addresses 15 million homes in the Nordic region and Central and Eastern Europe”, said Cato Halsaa, Vice President and CEO of Telenor Satellite Broadcasting AS. “ I would like to thank our satellite contractor, Thales Alenia Space and Arianespace for a successful launch”.
THOR 6 will now undergo extensive in-orbit testing before it is brought into its final geo-stationary position at 1 degree west and commence commercial services. With the launch of THOR 6, 1 degree west will have a total of 71 transponders, providing capacity to facilitate both organic growth and expansion for Telenor Satellite Broadcasting.
Additional THOR 6 mission material including high resolution images of the launch will be published at www.telenorsbc.com
About THOR 6
THOR 6, Telenor’s latest satellite, will provide high power direct-to-home (DTH) television services from the 1° West orbital position. It is based on Thales Alenia Spacebus 4000B2 platform and fitted with 36 Ku-band transponders. 16 transponders will point to the Nordic countries and 20 transponders will be positioned to serve the growing broadcasting demands within Central and Eastern Europe. The 1 degree west orbital location, operated by Telenor Satellite Broadcasting and Intelsat, offers one of the fastest growing platforms for video distribution serving more than 15 million TV households in the Nordic region and throughout Central and Eastern Europe.
Contact:Natasha Keech +44 7740 450 852
natasha.keech@telenor.com
Jorgen Thaule +47 915 59 607
jorgen.thaule@telenor.com