The first order under this agreement will provide batteries for the Orbital-built Azerspace/Africasat-1a commercial communications satellite for the Republic of Azerbaijan. For the Azerspace program , Saft has designed low-weight, high-energy batteries with space qualified VES180 Li-ion cells to support five kilowatts of payload power for 36 active transponders aboard the satellite. Scheduled to launch in 2012, it will carry hybrid Ku and C-band payloads to provide services to Azerbaijan, Central Asia, Europe and Africa.

In 2010, the government of Azerbaijan contracted Orbital to build the country’s first telecom satellite with a projected life span of 15 years. With up to 18 years of battery life, the rechargeable Li-ion cells will ensure continuous, reliable operation of the satellites at times when the solar panels are in eclipse, which is two 45-day periods per year in GEO orbit.

Visit Saft at www.saftbatteries.com