SSL selected to provide new high throughput satellite to Telesat

PALO ALTO, CA, Nov. 25, 2015 /CNW/ - Space Systems Loral (SSL), a leading provider of commercial satellites, today announced that it has been selected to build a powerful, high throughput communications satellite for Telesat, one of the world's top satellite operators. The new spacecraft, called Telstar 19 VANTAGE, will have two high throughput payloads, one in Ku-band and the other in Ka-band, to serve growing markets in Latin America, the North Atlantic Ocean, the Caribbean and Northern Canada. 

"SSL and Telesat have a long history of working together to expand the availability of satellite communications," said John Celli, president of SSL. "We are honored to have the opportunity to build Telstar 19 VANTAGE and look forward to continuing our successful collaboration."

Telstar 19 VANTAGE will be the second of a new generation of Telesat satellites optimized to serve the types of bandwidth intensive applications increasingly being used across the satellite industry. Hughes Network Systems LLC (Hughes) has made a significant commitment to utilize the satellite's high throughput Ka-band capacity in South America to expand its broadband satellite services, as announced previously. Telstar 19 VANTAGE will also offer additional high throughput Ka-band capacity over Northern Canada, the Caribbean and the North Atlantic Ocean, along with high throughput and conventional Ku-band capacity in South America and the North Atlantic Ocean.

"SSL has long been a key technology partner for Telesat and we are very pleased to be working with them on the Telstar 19 VANTAGE program," said Dan Goldberg, president and chief executive officer of Telesat. "Telesat and SSL engineers have developed a highly innovative spacecraft design for Telstar 19 VANTAGE that will bring HTS capacity in both Ku and Ka-band to growing markets across the Americas, giving our customers important competitive advantages in implementing their broadband satellite networks."

The satellite, which will be located at 63^o West longitude, is based on the highly reliable SSL 1300 platform, which provides the flexibility to support a broad range of applications and technology advances. Nearly half the satellites in the Telesat fleet were built by SSL.

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 15 satellites, including the newly launched Telstar 12 VANTAGE, plus the Canadian payload on ViaSat-1 with a new 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 SSL

SSL, a subsidiary of MDA, is a leading provider of commercial satellites with broad expertise to support satellite operators and innovative space related missions.  The company designs and manufactures spacecraft for services such as direct-to-home television, video content distribution, broadband Internet, mobile communications, and Earth observation.  As a Silicon Valley innovator for more than 50 years, SSL's advanced product line also includes state-of-the-art small satellites, and sophisticated robotics and automation solutions for remote operations.  For more information, visit www.sslmda.com.

About MDA

MDA is a global communications and information company providing operational solutions to commercial and government organizations worldwide.

MDA's business is focused on markets and customers with strong repeat business potential, primarily in the Communications sector and the Surveillance and Intelligence sector. In addition, the Company conducts a significant amount of advanced technology development.

MDA's established global customer base is served by more than 4,800 employees operating from 11 locations in the United States, Canada, and internationally.

MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates Ltd.'s (MDA) common shares trade on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol "MDA."

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Forward-Looking Statements
This news release contains forward-looking statements and information, which reflect the current view of MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates Ltd. and its subsidiaries (collectively "MDA" or the "Company") with respect to future events and financial performance.  When used in this news release, the words "believes", "expects", "plans", "may", "will", "would", "could", "should", "anticipates", "estimates", "project", "intend" or "outlook" or other variations of these words or other similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements and information. Actual results may differ materially from the expectations expressed or implied in the forward-looking statements as a result of known and unknown risks and uncertainties. Known risks and uncertainties include but are not limited to: risks associated with operating satellites and providing satellite services, including satellite construction or launch delays, launch failures, in-orbit failures or impaired satellite performance; risks associated with satellite manufacturing, including competition, cyclicality of MDA's end-user markets, contractual risks, creditworthiness of customers, performance of suppliers and management of MDA's factory and personnel; risk associated with financial factors such as volatility in exchange rates, increases in interest rates, restrictions on access to capital, and swings in global financial markets; risks associated with domestic and foreign government regulation, including export controls and economic sanctions; and other risks, including litigation. The foregoing list of important factors is not exhaustive. The information contained in this news release reflects MDA's beliefs, assumptions, intentions, plans and expectations as of the date of this news release. Except as required by law, MDA disclaims any obligation or undertaking to update or revise the information herein.

For additional information with respect to certain of these risks or factors, plus additional risks or factors, reference should be made to the Company's continuous disclosure materials filed from time to time with Canadian securities regulatory authorities, which are available online under the Company's profile at www.sedar.com or on the Company's website at www.mdacorporation.com.

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SOURCE MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates Ltd.

Wendy Keyzer, MDA External Relations, [phone], [email protected]