[Satellite Today 08-22-08] Inmarsat has selected Thales Alenia Space and International Launch Services (ILS) to support an application under the European S-band Application Process (ESAP) for an award of S-band spectrum.
    Inmarsat and Thales Alenia Space have announced an authorization to proceed for the development of the ‘EuropaSat’ satellite, which aims to provide mobile broadcast and two-way telecommunications services in the S-Band throughout Europe. Thales Alenia Space will commence work on the satellite design, based on its Spacebus 4000C3 platform and develop it through the critical design review to support a fully compliant application for a EC-wide S-band spectrum allocation by Inmarsat, under the recently-announced ESAP.
     Inmarsat and International Launch Services have also announced a contract for the launch of EuropaSat.  This contract follows this week’s successful launch of the Inmarsat-4 F3 satellite on an ILS Proton Breeze M vehicle.