LONDON-Middle East satellite operator Thuraya has announced plans to launch its second mobile communications satellite early next month. Originally scheduled for launch in the first quarter of this year, Thuraya-2 will eventually take over from the operator’s first satellite.
The new satellite is to be sent into orbit by a Sea Launch Zenit-3SL rocket from the Odyseey Launch Platform positioned on the equator in the Pacific Ocean. Satellite manufacturer Boeing has shipped Thuraya-2 from its facility in preparation for the launch, delivering it to the Sea Launch home port in Long Beach, Calif.
“With its powerful digital signal processor and the ability to handle nearly 14,000 simultaneous phone calls, Thuraya-2 is one of the most advanced satellites we’ve delivered to date,” commented Dave Ryan, president of Boeing Satellite Systems International. “I am fully confident that Thuraya-2 has the quality and reliability to support Thuraya’s continued success providing vital mobile communications services to a vast portion of the globe.”
