The successful launch Es’hail-2 satellite on Thursday, from the Kennedy Space Centre in Florida, proves Qatar’s leadership in communications technology in the region and the world.
The launch was witnessed by HE the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of State for Defence Affairs Dr Khalid bin Mohamed al-Attiyah and Qatar’s ambassador to the US Sheikh Meshal bin Hamad al-Thani with other dignitaries and officials.
The new achievement will mark a quantum leap in the protection of television channels from jamming, ensure greater independence for broadcasting media content, and support the implementation of Qatar National Vision 2030.
Es’hail-2 satellite’s launch adds to a series of successes achieved by Qatar and represents a great development in communications technology that would move the country to a new technological stage that will keep pace with the qualitative leap in all fields.
Efforts made by Es’hailSat, the Qatar Satellite Company, enable Qataris to cope with the great boom in the telecommunications sector, and to prepare national cadres to manage the operations of satellites.
The satellite launch marks the achievement of the independence of the Qatari television channels, especially after being jammed previously. It also reflects the keenness of Qatar on developing the media sector and providing targeted media content that expresses its mission and support for peace and spreading the culture of love and tolerance around the world.
Thursday’s launch comes five years after the successful launch of Es’hail-1. It reaffirms the success of Qatari leadership’s national vision in building space industries with strategic objectives and economic value, aiming to create a national industry that seeks to provide satellite platforms, networks and related services in the Middle East and beyond.
The launch of Es’hail-2 satellite proves once again the strong presence of Qatar within the international satellite communications system.
Built by Mitsubishi Electric Company, based on their DS 2000 satellite bus, Es’hail-2 has a proven, modular platform with high power capability and flexibility for a broad range of applications. In addition to offering Ku-band capacity to support the growing 25.5°E / 26.0°E broadcast neighbourhood, Es’hail-2 also features multi-transponder Ka-band capacity with sophisticated anti-jamming capabilities providing business and government sectors with secure communications across the Mena region. The spacecraft has a design life in excess of 16 years.
The features of the new satellite and its presence within a distinct orbit that ensure its success in terms of operations or marketing.
These features are in line with Qatar National Vision 2030, and the State’s plans for expansion of the media sector in the country, the creation of a “Free Media Zone” that aims at attracting international media, technology companies, research and training institutions, as well as supporting and encouraging projects and establishing investment funds in the media sector - digital and technological media, and film and television production.
