Artist rendition of the Nilesat-301 satellite. Photo: Nilesat

Thales Alenia Space will build the Nilesat-301 geostationary communications satellite for Egyptian operator Nilesat, the company announced December 4.

Thales Alenia Space will be responsible for satellite design, production, testing and in-orbit acceptance tests, and will provide satellite control system for Nilesat in both Cairo and Alexandria. Nilesat-301 will be based on the Spacebus 4000-B2 platform and will weigh about four metric tons at launch, which is scheduled for the first quarter of 2022. Nilesat has not yet selected a launcher for the new satellite.

Nilesat-301 will be located at the 7 degrees West orbital slot and work with Nilesat-201 to provide Ku-band services for the Middle East and North Africa. Nilesat-301 will also help extend the company’s provision of Ku-band communications and direct digital broadcasting services in two new large regions of Africa, while also providing broadband Ka-band connectivity over all of Egypt.

“This achievement proves that our telecommunications offer perfectly replies to the telecom market’s needs and that we are perfectly capable of providing tailored solutions that meet each operator’s specific requirements, to enhance global connectivity and reduce the digital divide,” Jean-Loïc Galle. President and CEO of Thales Alenia Space said in a statement.