The UK MoD and Paradigm Secure Communications, a wholly owned EADS Astrium Services subsidiary, signed the €3.6 billion Skynet 5 Private Finance Initiative (PFI) contract in October 2003. Paradigm Secure Communications then awarded EADS Astrium the contract for supply of the next generation military satellite communications system, Skynet 5.Astrium is therefore prime contractor to Paradigm for the design and build of the complete Skynet 5 system. This comprises three Skynet 5 spacecraft as well as a major upgrade of the fixed terrestrial infrastructure, networks and management systems in the UK and provision of over 160 satellite communications terminals. The launch of Skynet 5A is scheduled for 2007 with 5B and 5C in 2008.
The Skynet 5 satellites are based on the new high-power E3000 variant of Astrium's well-proven Eurostar series which has accumulated over 200 years operational life. Each Skynet 5 spacecraft will have a launch mass of around 5 tonnes, compared to 1.6 tonnes for Skynet 4F, and a payload power of 5 kW, up to four times the power of Skynet 4.
TiNi FC2 Frangibolts are used on this mission.
http://www.astrium.eads.net/families/a-safer-world/securecoms/skynet-5
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