Space Systems/Loral (SS/L), a subsidiary of Loral Space and Communications and the world's leading provider of commercial satellites, has announced that it has finalized a previously announced satellite contract award to provide a new spacecraft to Intelsat, the leading provider of fixed satellite services (FSS) worldwide.

"This will be the 45th satellite that we have provided to Intelsat," said John Celli, president and chief operating officer of Space Systems/Loral.

"Like Intelsat 14, it combines heritage, space-proven building blocks with some of the world's most advanced technologies."

Intelsat 17 is a powerful, state-of-the-art, C- and Ku-band spacecraft for Fixed Satellite Services (FSS). It is scheduled to be available for launch in 2010 and will be located at 66 degrees East, where it will replace Intelsat 704.

Based on the SS/L 1300 satellite platform, which provides the flexibility for a broad range of applications, Intelsat 17 is designed to provide service for 15 years or more.