The Latecoere Interconnection Systems branch has been selected by Thales Alenia Space to supply the electrical harness for the satellite bus of the Nilesat-301 geostationary communications satellite.

As prime contractor for the Egyptian operator Nilesat, Thales Alenia Space will be responsible for satellite design, production, testing and in-orbit acceptance tests. Thales Alenia Space will also provide satellite control system for Nilesat in both Cairo and Alexandria.

Positioned at 7° West, Nilesat-301 will work with Nilesat-201 to provide Ku-band services for the Middle East and North Africa. Nilesat-301 will also help extend the company’s provision of Ku-band communications and direct digital broadcasting services in two new large regions of Africa, while also providing broadband Ka-band connectivity over all of Egypt.

The satellite is based on the Spacebus 4000-B2 platform and will weigh about 4 metric tons at launch, which is scheduled for the second quarter of 2022. It offers a design life exceeding 15 years.

Latecoere’s spatial activities are based in Vendargues, France.

Credit: Thales Alenia Space