[Satellite TODAY 12-21-10] The Mexican Government issued a $1 billion contract to Boeing for the development and delivery of the Mexsat end-to-end communications system, Boeing announced Dec. 20.
    The system will consist of three satellites, two ground sites, associated network operations systems and reference user terminals and will be managed by Mexico’s Ministry of Communications and Transports. Boeing will deliver a turnkey satellite system comprised of Boeing 702HP geo-mobile satellites Mexsat-1 and Mexsat-2. Both satellites will carry a 22-meter L-band reflector and a two-meter Ku-band antenna to support mobile satellite services.
     Boeing also will provide one extended C- and Ku-band satellite, Mexsat-3, which aims to provide fixed satellite services from a geosynchronous orbital slot at 114.9 degrees West. Mexsat-3 will be the first of the three satellites launched and is scheduled for liftoff at the end of 2012. 
     Each Boeing 702HP satellite will supply 14 kilowatts of power through five-panel solar array wings and ultra triple-junction gallium arsenide solar cells. The system’s two ground sites will be equipped with advanced beam-forming flexibility to direct mobile user spot beams to government agencies operating in Mexico and its surrounding maritime areas, including the Pacific Ocean and Gulf of Mexico.
    Separately, Boeing announced it has entered into an agreement to procure the satellites and a spacecraft operations center from its supply partner Orbital Sciences. Mexsat-3 will be based on Orbital’s Star-2 platform. Orbital will be responsible for providing the FSS ground segment, including satellite command and control ground equipment and software, as well as training and operational documentation.
    “The combination of Boeing and Orbital, two of the world’s preeminent satellite manufacturers, will provide the Mexican government with a highly reliable and capable satellite system for its critical mission requirements,” Orbital Executive Vice President and General Manager of Satellites and Space Systems Michael Larkin said in a statement.
    Mexsat is the fourth generation of satellites Boeing has provided to Mexico for government and civilian satellite communications. The deal follows initiatives recently enacted by the Mexican government to accelerated growth in its telecommunications sector. After 15 years in development, Mexico’s Telecom Liberalization Plan aims to ease the regulatory process for satellite and wireless service licensing through the Mexican Federal Communications Commission and the Mexican Secretariat of Communications and Transportation.

Related Stories-

SES Receives U.S. Export-Import Bank Loan to Build QuetzSat   Satellite Today   December 17, 2010
[Satellite TODAY 12-17-10] SES received a $171.5 million loan from the U.S. Export-Import Bank to build and insure the QuetzSat telecommunications satellite, according to documents the operator released Dec. 14. The loan supports the…

Integral’s Epoch to Replace Four Boeing 702 Satellite Command and Control Systems   Satellite Today   October 12, 2010
Integral Systems has been awarded a sole source contract from an unnamed satellite service provider to expand its existing satellite fleet control system to support four Boeing 702 satellites already in orbit. The customer’s legacy command…

Maritime Providers Relying on Wi-Fi Enhancements to Capture Vertical Markets   Satellite Today   November 11, 2010
Satellite providers are investing in Wi-Fi network upgrades to stay competitive in the offshore energy marketplace while branching out into several niche maritime markets. MTN Satellite Communications (MTN) recently overhauled its Wi-Fi…