1 August 2013

• New contract is the fourth order by Telesat of an Airbus Defence and Space built Eurostar E3000 spacecraft

• Telesat’s new satellite will utilise high throughput capabilities and offer superior performance to meet growing needs of broadcast, corporate, government and enterprise users, including demand for aero and maritime services

• The new satellite will provide high levels of flexibility with coverage of Europe, the Americas, the Middle East, Africa, the Caribbean, North Sea, Mediterranean and South Atlantic regions

1 August 2013 - Airbus Defence and Space, Europe’s leading space technology company, has been awarded a contract by global satellite operator Telesat to build the latest addition to Telesat’s fleet of communications satellites. This satellite will use Airbus Defence and Space’s highly-reliable Eurostar E3000 platform.

Telesat’s new, multi-mission satellite will replace and significantly expand on Telstar 12 at 15 degrees West. Scheduled to be launched at the end of 2015, Telesat’s newest satellite will have powerful coverage of the Americas and EMEA regions as well as maritime zones in Europe, the Caribbean and South Atlantic.

“This latest contract is an important win for our company and the fourth satellite to be designed and built by Airbus Defence and Space for Telesat,” said Eric Béranger, CEO of Airbus Defence and Space. “Telesat’s first three Airbus Defence and Space satellites, ordered between 2003 and 2006, have performed very well in orbit  and contributed to a new reliability record for our Eurostar platform, which has now accumulated over 480 years of operations in orbit."

Telesat’s newest satellite will have a launch mass of under five tonnes with 11 kW of electrical power. It has been designed to have a nominal service life of more than 15 years in orbit.

About Telesat (www.telesat.com)

Telesat is a leading global satellite operator, providing reliable and secure satellite-delivered communications solutions worldwide to broadcast, telecom, corporate and government customers. Headquartered in Ottawa, Canada, with offices and facilities around the world, the company’s state-of-the-art fleet consists of 14 satellites, and the Canadian payload on ViaSat-1 with another satellite under construction. Telesat also manages the operations of additional satellites for third parties. Privately held, Telesat’s principal shareholders are Canada’s Public Sector Pension Investment Board and Loral Space & Communications Inc. (NASDAQ: LORL).

About Airbus Defence and Space

Airbus Defence and Space is the number one company in Europe for space technologies and the third in the world. It is the only global company that covers the full range of civil and defence space systems, equipment and services.

In 2012, Airbus Defence and Space had a turnover over €5.8 billion and 18,000 employees worldwide.

Its three business units are: Airbus Defence and Space, the European prime contractor for launchers, orbital systems and space exploration; Airbus Defence and Space, a leading provider of satellite system solutions, including spacecraft, ground segments, payloads and equipments; Airbus Defence and Space, the Space services partner for critical missions, providing comprehensive fixed and mobile solutions covering secure and commercial satcoms and networks, and bespoke geo-information services, worldwide.

Airbus Defence and Space is a wholly owned subsidiary of AIRBUS Group, a global leader in aerospace, defence and related services. In 2012, the Group – comprising Airbus, Airbus Defence and Space, Cassidian and Eurocopter – generated revenues of €56.5 billion and employed a workforce of over 140,000.

Press contacts

Jeremy Close (Airbus Defence and Space UK)                                                       Tel.: +44 (0)1 438 77 3872

Gregory Gavroy (Airbus Defence and Space FR)                                                    Tel.: +33 (0) 1 77 75 80 32

Ralph Heinrich (Airbus Defence and Space GER)                                                   Tel.: +49 (0) 89 607 33971

Francisco Lechón (Airbus Defence and Space SP)                                                 Tel.: +34 91 586 37 41