Launch Of SES-2 Satellite Delayed

KOUROU, French Guiana--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- SES S.A. (Paris:SESG) (LuxX:SESG) announces that the launch of its new SES-2 satellite has been postponed due to a strike at the Kourou space centre in French Guiana.

The Trade Union of French Guiana Workers (UTG) initiated a strike within the TELESPAZIO company making unavailable certain means of measurement in the Space Center which are absolutely necessary for an Ariane launch. Consequently, Arianespace and CNES have decided to adjourn the launch.

SES-2 was scheduled for launch today on board an Ariane 5 rocket. The new SES-2 satellite was built by Orbital Sciences Corporation and is intended to replace SES’s AMC-3 spacecraft at the orbital location of 87 degrees West.

The launch vehicle and its payload, the SES-2 and Arabsat 5C satellites, have been placed in stand-by mode and maintained in fully safe conditions.

A new launch date will be announced as soon as possible.

About SES

SES is a world-leading satellite operator with a fleet of 47 geostationary satellites. The company provides satellite communications services to broadcasters, content and internet service providers, mobile and fixed network operators and business and governmental organisations worldwide.

SES stands for long-lasting business relationships, high-quality service and excellence in the broadcasting industry. The culturally diverse regional teams of SES are located around the globe and work closely with customers to meet their specific satellite bandwidth and service requirements.

SES (Paris:SESG) (LuxX:SESG) holds participations in Ciel in Canada and QuetzSat in Mexico, as well as a strategic participation in satellite infrastructure start-up O3b Networks. Further information under: www.ses.com.

CONTACT:

SES
Yves Feltes
Media Relations
Tel. +352 710 725 311
Yves.Feltes@ses.com

KEYWORDS:   Europe  South America  France  French Guiana

INDUSTRY KEYWORDS:   Entertainment  TV and Radio  Technology  Data Management  Software  Satellite

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