* Astronomy

Asia Broadcast Satellite (ABS) and Space Systems/Loral (SS/L) today announced that they have contracted for Space Systems/Loral to manufacture the ABS-2 spacecraft which is scheduled for launch in 2013.
ABS-2 will be one of the most powerful commercial satellites launched for service in the Eastern Hemisphere. The satellite will have over 12 kW of payload power and up to a total of 87 active C-band, Ku-band and Ka-band transponders across 10 different beams bringing increased capacity and transmission power to the Middle East, Africa, Asia Pacific and CIS/Russia. The ABS-2 spacecraft is based on Space Systems/Loral's 1300 satellite bus, with a separated mass in excess of 6,000 Kg at launch and is designed for 15 years of operational life.
ABS-2 will be located at the 75 degrees East Longitude, ABS' prime orbital location where ABS-1, ABS-1A, and ABS-1B are currently located. From the 75 degrees East Longitude location, ABS-2 will cover four-fifths of the world's population and will expand the already successful business base of ABS-1, which has a current fill rate of over 90%. With the addition of ABS-2 to its fleet, ABS will become one of the largest FSS satellite operators in Asia in terms of number of active transponders in orbit.

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