Castor has successfully commissioned a 16.4m C-band antenna which will be pointed at NSS-12.

Castor has successfully commissioned a 16.4m C-band antenna which will be pointed at NSS-12 at 57 degrees East after a successful launch which is expected end of 2009.

The NSS-12 satellite is due for launch in the fourth quarter of 2009. NSS-12 will replace the existing NSS-703 satellite at the orbital position of 57 degrees East.

NSS-12 will become one of the most powerful satellites in the region and will bring increased capacity and transmission power to a key location at the crossroads of Europe and Middle East, Africa, Asia and Australia. The satellite features 40 C-band transponders and 48 Ku-band transponders, DTH-power, as well as elaborate beam interconnectivity and C-/Ku-band cross-strapping.

Meanwhile, the successfully commissioned 16.4m C-band antenna of Castor in Burum, the Netherlands is providing up and downlink services on IS-906 where it serves global C-band and hemi transponders. The antenna has received standard-A type approval from Intelsat.