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Home , Astra 1N, Badr (satellite), ChinaSat 9, EchoStar, EchoStar XI, EchoStar XV

December 2008

- SPECIAL EDITION: THE TOP-10 SPACE BUSINESS STORIES OF 2008 -

#1 – Emergence of New Operators #6 – Robust Year for Launch Services 2008 witnessed the emergence of new satellite 41 commercial were successfully operators New Dawn (Mauritius), NigComSat launched in 2008. : Star One (), Networks (Channel Islands), C2, VINASAT-1, 5C, Turksat 3A, ProtoStar (Bermuda), Rascom (international ProtoStar I, -6, AMC-21, Superbird-7, organization comprised of 44 African states), Hot Bird 9 and W2M; Launch Venesat (Venezuela), ViaSat (USA), Vinasat Services Inc.: GeoEye-1 and COSMO- (Vietnam) and Yahsat (UAE). SkyMed; Cosmos 3M: CDS #2 – FSS Demand Grows Worldwide and five ORBCOMM Quick Launch Leading providers of fixed satellite services, satellites; International Launch Services: including , Ltd. and SES, reported 5, -4 F3, 4, record revenues and significant growth in 1M, Express-AM33 and three GLONASS-M backlog during the third quarter of 2008. The navigation satellites; ISC Kosmotras positive trend is expected to continue with Dnepr: five RapidEye satellites; Land increasing demand for capacity in the Middle Launch: AMOS-3; Lockheed Martin East, North Africa and Asia-Pacific regions. Commercial Launch Services: ICO G1; Long March: -9 and Venesat 1; # 3 – Satellite Manufacturers Keep Pace Company: Thuraya-3, 21 commercial satellite orders (including one DIRECTV 11, , EchoStar XI and order for a constellation of 16 satellites) ; Starsem (Soyuz): Giove-B. were announced in 2008. China Great Wall Industry Corporation: PAKSAT-1R; EADS #7 – Mobile Satellite Services Developments Solaris, ICO, Terrestar and Inmarsat take : KA-SAT, Express AM4 (in part in the European Union’s S-band mobile cooperation with Khrunichev Space satellite services selection process; Iridium Center) and ASTRA 1N; JSC Academician announces SPAC deal and NEXT “MF Reshetnev” Information Satellite generation satellite system; Systems: Amos-5; Khrunichev State receives authority to provide WiMAX Research and Production Space Center: services in the ; Inmarsat KazSat-2; Lockheed Martin Commercial BGAN fully operational globally; XM-

Space Business Review Space Systems: BSAT-3b; Orbital merger complete; EchoStar Corp. suspended Sciences Corporation: Intelsat-18 and construction of CMBStar satellite; WorldSpace AMC-1R; Space Systems/Loral: NSS-14, files for Chapter bankruptcy protection. ViaSat-1, Satmex 7, Sirius 5, HISPASAT 1E #8 – Remote Sensing Market Matures and EchoStar XV; : GeoEye-1 hi-resolution (0.41 meter) satellite W3B, Nilesat-201, (in launched; RapidEye launches five satellites; cooperation with Orbital Sciences COSMO-SkyMed launches fourth satellite. Corporation), RASCOM-QAF1R, EuropaSat #9 – Rockets Away and the O3b constellation of 16 satellites. Space Exploration Technologies Corp. # 4 – Industry Copes with Credit Crunch (SpaceX) successfully launched its Despite the sharp reduction in available debt vehicle and completed a static test firing of financing and downturn in equity investments its core stage; NASA awards worldwide, several successful financings were Orbital Sciences and SpaceX International announced: Intelsat, Ltd. finalized $10b in Space Station resupply services contracts; debt refinancing; Yahsat secured $1.2b in Sea Launch Co. returns to flight a year after debt financing and New Dawn concluded an an on-pad failure; Land Launch debut flight asset-based financing. Companies needing to from ; Proton refinance: Sirius XM Radio Inc., ICO Global rocket returns to flight after its March failure. Communications and Globalstar, Inc. #10 – Ka-band Satellite Internet #5 – Milestones in Space ViaSat and to jointly offer satellite NASA celebrates 50 years in space; Sir broadband services in North America and Arthur C. Clarke dies at 90; Japan removes ; Avanti signs up broadband ban on military space activities; NASA mission customers for HYLAS; HughesNet begins BEIJING confirmed the presence of water on Mars; services on SPACEWAY-3; O3b Networks FRANKFURT China’s third manned-space mission takes first announces plans to deploy high speed, low HONG KONG spacewalk; India launches its first Moon mission. LONDON cost satellite system. LOS ANGELES MUNICH To learn about Milbank’s Space Business Practice, or view previous issues of the Space Business Review, please visit www.milbank.com. NEW YORK The information contained herein is provided for informational purposes only and should not be construed as legal advice on any subject matter. Recipients of this publication should not take or refrain from taking any action based upon content included herein. If you do not wish SINGAPORE to receive this newsletter, please send an e-mail to [email protected] with the word “unsubscribe” in the subject line. ATTORNEY TOKYO ADVERTISING. Prior results do not guarantee similar results. WASHINGTON DC © 2008 - Milbank, Tweed, Hadley & McCloy LLP.