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Asiasat, ILS announce Proton launch of Asiasat 7
MUMBAI: Asian satelite service provider Asiasat and International Launch Services (ILS) have announced a contract for the launch of AsiaSat 7 satellite on an ILS Proton.
The satellite is under construction by Space Systems/Loral in Palo Alto, California. ILS and Khrunichev are implementing a mission integration schedule to support a 2011 launch from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.
Asiasat 7 is configured as a replacement satellite for Asiasat 3S, one of AsiaSat‘s flagship satellites, operating at the orbital location of 105.5°E.
Asiasat 7 is a Space Systems/Loral 1300 platform, with C and Ku-band transponders, designed for a lifespan of 15 years. The projected orbital maneuvering lifetime of the satellite is expected to improve due to the performance of the ILS Proton launch vehicle.
ILS president Frank McKenna said, “A little over a year ago, we contracted, integrated and launched the AsiaSat 5 satellite within a 6 month timeframe, providing unmatched flexibility for our longtime customer, Asiasat. We are very honoured to play a key role in Asiasat’s replacement strategic plan with the launch of Asiasat 7.”
Asiasat CEO William Wade says, “With this launch opportunity on the ILS Proton, we are continuing our replacement strategy to provide continuity of services to our current and potential new customers across Asia, Middle East, CIS and Australasia. We know that we can count on the professionalism of ILS and Khrunichev for a successful launch for Asiasat 7”.
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With 57 per cent single new users, Ashley Madison rebrands as discreet dating platform
Platform says majority of new members now identify as single
INDIA: Ashley Madison is shedding the “married-dating” label that defined it for two decades, repositioning itself as a platform for discreet dating in what it calls the post-social media age.
The rebrand, unveiled in India on 27 February, 2026, marks a structural shift in business model and identity. Once synonymous with married dating, the company now describes itself as the “premier destination for discreet dating” under a new tagline: Where Desire Meets Discretion.
The pivot is data-driven. Internal figures show that 57 per cent of global sign-ups between 1 January and 31 December, 2025 identified as single: a notable departure from the platform’s married core. The company argues that its community has already evolved beyond its original positioning.
“In an age where our lives have been constantly put on public display, privacy has become the new luxury,” said Ashley Madison chief strategy officer Paul Keable. He framed the platform’s offering as “ethical discretion” for singles, separated, divorced and non-monogamous users seeking private connections.
The shift also taps into wider digital fatigue. A global survey conducted by YouGov for Ashley Madison, covering 13,071 adults across Australia, Brazil, Canada, Germany, India, Italy, Mexico, Spain, Switzerland, the UK and the US, found mounting discomfort with hyper-public online lives.
Among dating app users, 30 per cent cited constant swiping and messaging as a source of fatigue, while 24 per cent pointed to pressure to curate public-facing profiles and early personal disclosure. Some 27 per cent said fears of screenshots or information being shared contributed to exhaustion; an equal share cited unwanted attention.
The retreat from oversharing appears broader. According to the survey, 46 per cent of adults actively try to keep most aspects of their life private online. Only 8 per cent feel comfortable sharing most aspects publicly, while 35 per cent say they are becoming more selective about what they disclose.
Ashley Madison is betting that this cultural recalibration towards controlled visibility can be monetised. By doubling down on privacy infrastructure and reframing itself around discretion rather than infidelity, the company is attempting to convert reputational baggage into a premium proposition.
