Alcatel Space has contracted with Jersey-based AirTV Holdings Ltd to build satellites to deliver live TV programming to aircraft passengers. Alcatel Space’s operating arm, Spacecom, will be a strategic partner of AirTV in its first finance round. AirTV will start transmissions globally in 2003. The contract calls for four high-power S-band geostationary satellites delivered in orbit, plus ground control, telemetry, tracking and command . Based on the Spacebus platform, the satellites will include four very high power S-band transponders. The satellites will have an operational lifetime of 12 years.