Arianespace, the world’s leading commercial satellite launcher, continues to tap the growing Asian market when it was chosen by Korean Telecom Corporation (KT Corporation) to launch its next communications satellite, Koreasat 6.
Koreasat 6 will be boosted into geostationary transfer orbit by an Ariane 5 or Soyuz launcher from the Guiana Space Center, Europe’s Spaceport, French Guiana, during the second half of 2010. It is the second satellite to be launched by Arianespace for the Korean operator, following Koreasat 3, orbited in 1999.
"We are extremely proud and honored to be chosen for the second time by Korea Telecom Corporation," said Arianespace Chairman & CEO Jean-Yves Le Gall. "Our selection is the clear recognition of the high quality and overall excellence of Arianespace’s launch service and solutions." As of August this year, Arianespace has launched a total of 263 payloads, including more than half of all the commercial satellites now in service worldwide.
During a press conference in Singapore recently, Le Gall and other Arianespace officials cited Asia as an expanding market for Arianespace.
They cited Southeast Asia in particular, including the Philippines, as a very dynamic market. They noted that the Philippines may need another satellite in two to three years time to cater to the growing needs of Filipinos who have been using computers and mobile phones more and more to enhance their lives.
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