| MUMBAI:
The Sea Launch team has initiated a countdown at its equatorial launch site. This
is in preparation for the launch of the NSS-8 communications satellite for SES
New Skies which will take place tomorrow 26 January 2007.
The NSS-8 satellite is
a Boeing 702 spacecraft that carries 56 C-band and 36 Ku-band transponders. It
is designed to replace the existing NSS-703 satellite as the centerpiece of New
Skies' strategic Indian Ocean contribution to SES' global communications network.
NSS-8 will support a range
of functions, including corporate communications, Broadband Internet services
and broadcast applications to the Indian sub continent, Europe, Africa, the Middle
East and Asia. Designed for a 15-year lifespan, the satellite will have 18 kilowatts
of total power at the beginning of life on orbit. | 
