Yahsat
Al Yah Satellite Communications (Yahsat) is a satellite communications company and a subsidiary of the Abu Dhabi Government’s strategic investment company, Mubadala Development Company. The company offers voice, data, video and Internet services for broadcast, Internet and VSAT users for both private and government organizations.
History
Yahsat was founded in January 2008. The company had an aim of developing, operating and using multi-purpose (Government and commercial) communications satellite systems for the EMEA and South-West Asia regions.
In August 2007, Yahsat approved a consortium of EADS Astrium and Thales Alenia to construct Yahsat's own satellites. The manufacturing took 36 months to be completed in Europe. Arianespace was appointed to launch the first satellite Y1A which is currently positioned at 52.5° East.
In April 2008, Yahsat signed a 15-year lease agreement with the UAE Armed Forces, as Yahsat’s first government customer to provide secure satellite communications in the UAE. As part of this contract, Yahsat will supply the ground terminals and gateway infrastructure for satellite network services.
In April 2009 Yahsat entered into a partnership with European satellite operator SES to create a new company operating under the brand name YahLive offering Direct-to-Home (DTH) television capacity and services to various countries in the Middle East, North Africa and South West Asian region.
The first satellite was launched from the European Space Center in Kourou, French Guyana on 22 April 2011.
A second satellite (Y1B), weighing approx. 6 tons, has been launched by International Launch Services (ILS) on a Proton Breeze M vehicle from the Baikonour Kosmodrome in Kazakhstan.
References:
www.yahsat.com
www.answers.com
www.wikipedia.com
www.mubadala.ae
Satellites
