Thaicom 5 To Launch In 2006, Four Years Early

[george]

SATELLITE PROBLEMS:

Thaicom 5 to launch in 2006, four years early

ShinSat needs to replace Thaicom 3

BANGKOK: -- Shin Satellite Plc wants to move up the launch of its fifth satellite by four years to 2006 in case its ailing Thaicom 3 goes on the blink sooner than planned.

Chief commercial officer Yongsit Rojsrivichaikul said last week that Thaicom 5, at a cost of US$200 million (Bt8 billion), will be bigger than Thaicom 3 but have a similar physical design.

ShinSat’s shortlist of potential builders has France’s Aerospatiale, the prime contractor for Thaicom 3, as well as Boeing Satellite Systems and Space Systems/Loral of the US.

“We’re negotiating the details regarding the number of transponders on Thaicom 5. We expect there will be more than 30. We have to hurry and conclude the deal with one of the companies within this year,” Yongsit said.

ShinSat had planned to launch Thaicom 5 three or four years after its broadband satellite iPStar, also known as Thaicom 4, which is scheduled for takeoff early next year. Thaicom 5 is intended to replace Thaicoms 1, 2 and 3.

But the plan was revised after the company found an irreparable glitch in Thaicom 3 that will terminate its service in 2007.

Thaicom 3 was put in orbit in 1997 with a mission lifetime of 14 years, meaning it was designed to run to 2011.

Thaicom 3 experienced a severe technical problem in its power supply last year that knocked out nine of its transponders.

The same glitch prompted another failure in Thaicom 3 in the middle of this month, forcing ShinSat to shut it down twice for maintenance during a solar eclipse.

Thaicom 1 was launched in 1993 and was followed by the identical Thaicom 2 in 1994, with both having a lifespan of about 13.5 years. Their missions are due to end in 2009.

After Thaicom 5 starts up, Thaicom 3 will continue working for the duration of its serviceable life.

Hughes – now Boeing Satellite Systems – built Thaicoms 1 and 2 for ShinSat, while Space Systems/Loral is assembling iPStar.

ShinSat needs Thaicom 5 to provide conventional broadcasting services now offered by Thaicoms 1, 2 and 3, since iPStar will offer mainly broadband telecom services. Thaicom 5 will become the broadcasting centre for all TV programmes in Thailand, Yongsit said.

Thaicom 5 will not likely encounter the same ills as Thaicom 3 because ShinSat now has much more technical expertise, he said.

ShinSat has had no trouble in securing financing to build Thaicom 5, he said.

Thaicom 5 will be positioned at 78.5 degrees east longitude, the same orbit as Thaicoms 2 and 3. Thaicom 1 has been relocated to 120 degrees east.

The newest Thaicom will cater to an expanding number of television operators, a trend that is expected to gain speed when the regulator gets off the ground to issue more licences and deregulate the market.

Thailand is in the process of forming the National Broadcasting Commission.

--The Nation 2004-09-26