ST. LOUIS, Oct. 04, 2007 -- Boeing [NYSE: BA] has shipped the third Thuraya communications satellite from its satellite manufacturing facility in El Segundo, Calif., to the Sea Launch Home Port in Long Beach, Calif., where it will be prepared for a November launch. Based on the flight-proven 702 satellite model, Thuraya 3 is the third Boeing GEO-Mobile spacecraft manufactured for Thuraya Satellite Telecommunications Company.
"Over the past decade, Boeing has shared a successful exclusive partnership with Thuraya Satellite Telecommunications Company," said Howard Chambers, vice president of Boeing Space and Intelligence Systems. "Thuraya 3 is the latest advanced spacecraft we have built for our customer, and we look forward to this successful launch."
Thuraya 1 and 2 began commercial operations in 2001 and 2003, respectively. Together, these satellites provide mobile communications services to more than 2.3 billion people.
Planned to serve such key markets as China, Australia, Japan and Korea, Thuraya 3 gives access to advanced telecommunications services by providing a lifeline for first responders reaching those in need, businesses that depend on unequivocal data access and users who rely on mobile phones everyday. Boeing also has incorporated on-board digital signal processing that can redirect coverage to help meet market demands in more than 110 countries.