Hispasat

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Hispasat
Type Public limited company
Industry Communication satellites
Founded 1989
Key people Elena Pisonero Ruiz, Chairperson of the board (since 20 March 2012)
Products Internet, television, radio and mobile communications via satellite
Revenue €200.3 million (2012)[1]
Employees 176[1]
Subsidiaries Hispasat Brasil, Hispamar Satélites, Hispasat Canarias and Hisdesat
Website www.hispasat.com

Hispasat, S.A is the operating company for a number of Spanish communications satellites that cover the Americas, Europe and North Africa from orbital positions 30° West and 61° West.[2] It was formed in 1989 and its activities include provision of communication services in the commercial and government sectors (corporate networks, advanced telecommunications services, telephony, videoconferencing, etc). Hispasat's fleet of satellites broadcast more than 1,250 television channels and radio stations to more than 30 million homes, as well as providing services such as broadband to mobile telephones and landlines.[3]

The first Hispasat satellite sent into orbit was Hispasat 1A, which was launched on 11 September 1992 on board an Ariane 4 rocket from the Guiana Space Centre near Kourou in French Guiana. It was put into geostationary orbit at 30° west at a height of 36,000 Km, which is the location of all their subsequent satellites serving Spain and Europe.

The Amazonas satellites (61º west) were inaugurated in 2004 with the launch of Amazonas 1, which serves the American market (mainly Latin America). Amazonas 2 was launched on 1 October 2009 and Amazonas 3 7 February 2013[4] replacing Amazonas 1, which was moved to a new position at 36º west in September 2013.[5] This fleet of satellites will be augmented with Amazonas 4A at the end of 2013 and Amazonas 4B in 2015.

Corporate structure and shareholders

The Hispasat Group is formed of Hispasat SA, its subsidiaries Hispasat Canarias, Hispamar Satellites (a joint venture with the Brazilian telephone operator Oi), Hispasat Brazil and associated companies Hisdesat Strategic Services and Galileo Systems and Services.

The range of Hispasat shareholders demonstrates the company's strategic nature both for the government and the Spanish telecommunications market. In 2012 Hispasat's shareholders included representatives from the Spanish public sector, State Industrial Holding Company (SEPI) with 7.41%, and the Centre for the Development of Industrial Technology (CDTI) with 1.85%, and Eutelsat with 33.6% and Abertis, a group that specializes in the management of telecommunication's infrastructure and services, with 40.6%.[6]

On 21 February 2012, the press were informed that Telefónica would sell Abertis its shares in Hispasat,[7] and the Spanish government's cabinet authorized the sale in December 2012.

Abertis bought 16.42% of Hispasat from the Spanish Ministry of Defence on 25 July 2013 allowing it to take control of the company.[8]

Shareholder Capital Shareholder Capital
Abertis 57.05%
Eutelsat 33.69%
Spanish State 9.26% SEPI 7.41%
CDTI 1.85%

Satellites

Launched satellites[9][10]

Name Launch date Use / Constructor / Launched by Orbital position / Transponders / Coverage
Hispasat 1A[11][12] 11 September 1992 Digital television and government-military communications / Matra Marconi Space / Ariane 4. End of lifetime reached in 2003.
Hispasat 1B[13][14] 22 July 1993 Digital television and government-military communications / Matra Marconi Space / Ariane 4 End of lifetime reached in 2003, although some transponders are still active.
Hispasat 1C[15][16][17] 3 February 2000 Digital television and radio services as well as VSAT networks / Alcatel Space / Atlas 2AS based on a Spacebus 3000B2 platform 30º west / 24 Ku band transponders / Europe, North Africa, America
Hispasat 1D[18][19][20] 18 September 2002 Replacing Hispasat 1A and 1B for non-military uses / Alcatel Space / Atlas 2AS Centaur 30º west / 28 Ku band transponders / Europe, North Africa, America
Amazonas 1[21][22][23] 5 August 2004 Civil-communications / Astrium / Proton M 61° west (Re-positioned to 36° west) / 32 Ku band transponders and 27 C band transponders / Europe, North Africa, America
Xtar-Eur[24][25] 12 February 2005 Military use / Space Systems/Loral / Ariane 5 29º east / 12 X band transponders / Europe, Middle East, south west Asia, eastern Brazil, Horn of Africa
Spainsat[26][27] 11 March 2006 Military use / Space Systems/Loral / Ariane 5 30º west / 13 X band transponders and 1 Ku band transponder / Europe, North Africa, America
Amazonas 2[28][29][30][31][32] 1 October 2009 Civil-communications / EADS Astrium / Ariane 5 61º west / 54 Ku band transponders and 10 C band transponders and an advanced payload composed by an on Board processor capable of providing broadband multimedia services / North, central and south America
Hispasat 1E[33][34][35] 29 December 2010 Civil-communications / Space Systems/Loral / Ariane 5 30º west / 53 Ku band transponders / Europe, North Africa, America
Amazonas 3[36][37][38][39] 7 February 2013[4] Civil-communications / Space Systems/Loral / Ariane 5 61º west / 33 Ku band transponders, 9 Ka band and 19 C band transponders / North, central and south America

Satellites under construction


Name Predicted launch year Use / Constructor / Launched by Orbital position / Transponders / Coverage
Paz 2014 Military use / Astrium Spain / Kosmotras – / X band radar / –
Hispasat AG1 2014 Civil-communications / OHB-System / Ariane 5 – / 24 Ku band transponders and 3 Ka band transponders / Europe North Africa and America
Ingenio 2014 Military use / Astrium Spain / ? – / Optical instruments (Observation) / –
Amazonas 4A 2013 Civil-Communications / Orbital Sciences Corporation / Arianespace 61º west / 24 Ku band transponders / North, central and south America
Amazonas 4B 2015 Civil-communications / Orbital Sciences Corporation / ? 61º west / ? / America

Planned satellites


Name Comment Use Orbital position / Transponders / Coverage
Hispasat 1F This satellite will replace Hispasat 1C and 1D Civil-communications 30º west / ? / Europe, North Africa, America
HisNorSat Initially scheduled for launch in 2014, the project was suspended in September 2012 Military use, resulting from a collaboration agreement between Spain and Norway – / 40 Ka and X band transponders / From Australia to America

R+D+I projects

Antennas at Hispasat's Satellite Control Centre in Arganda del Rey (Madrid).

Ignis: The IGNIS project (integral communications system for the control of forest fires) is part of the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation's Innpacto project. It was launched in September 2011 with the main objective of developing short-term solutions to improve the telecommunications used while fighting forest fires.

Saturno: Hispasat is coordinating the SATURNO Project (SATellite Universal Redistribution NetwOrk). SATURNO is a tractor project, included within the Spanish government's 2010 Plan Avanza for R+D Competitiveness, the plan's main objective is to investigate innovative solutions for content distribution via satellites in the digital home in order to maximise use of existing infrastructure and develop necessary equipment and systems. Solutions developed as part of SATURNO are based on the use of high-speed IP technologies and the reuse of domestic cabling.

Jedi: The JEDI project (Just Exploring DImensions) started in 2010 with the objective of improving knowledge regarding the different formats and technologies related to 3D TV and how it will evolve and develop for consumers. JEDI is part of a European research project, ITEA 2, which forms part of the European EUREKA initiatives. Hispasat participates in the European JEDI consortium and is also a partner in the Spanish JEDI consortium collaborating on research and development projects under the aegis of Plan Avanza.

Phidias: PHIDIAS (Hybrid Platform for the Intelligent Diffusion of Applications and Services for Television) is an Avanza Plan project. Its objective is the development of an integrated platform for hybrid broadcast broadband television (HbbTV) that combines the broadcast and broadband delivery of television through the Internet. The aim is to investigate different alternatives for technological solutions for HbbTV by developing specific applications (social networks, personalized advertising, interactive applications etc). The ultimate objective is to produce a working model for both terrestrial and satellite television.

Intogener: Hispasat participates in the INTOGENER Project to design a system to more precisely measure the flow of water in mountain watersheds with the objective of making the generation of hydroelectric power more efficient and sustainable. The project started in May 2012 and will be carried out in the Chilean Andes for a period of two years with a budget of over a million euros, with 50% of the budget coming from the European Space Agency. Other collaborators include Starlab, as the project's coordinator, Endesa Chile, the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile and the consultancy Future Water, which will provide the remaining 50% of the project's budget.

See also

  • SES satellite operator
  • satellite family
  • ESOA

References

External links

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