ProtoStar
Protostar a former satellite operator based in Bermuda. The company launched two television satellites ( Protostar Protostar 1 and 2), which supplied India and Southeast Asia. In June 2009, the bankruptcy Unternehmem notified.
Company structure
The company's goal was to rent the transmission capacities of their own geostationary satellite to television stations. Target area were the emerging markets of India and Southeast Asia. Chairman of the company was Father Philip. Originally went from the planning of three satellites. The main customer for the transmission channels were Agrani from India and Indovision from Indonesia.
Protostar Ltd.. had the following subsidiaries:
- Protostar I Ltd..
- ProtoStar II Ltd..
- ProtoStar Satellite Systems, Inc. ( PSS)
- Protostar Developmentd Ltd.. (PSD )
- ProtoStar Asia Pte. Ltd.. (PSA )
The subsidiary PSS had its headquarters in San Francisco, PSA in Singapore, all other companies in Bermuda.
First satellite
Unlike the competitors Protostar sat satellites whose production has already begun, which were not completed. In this way it was possible the company, the Chinese operator Chinasat abzukaufen a satellite that had been produced by the U.S. manufacturer Space Systems / Loral in 1997, but due to a missing export permit could not be started in China and was stored at Loral. From January 2007, modified the Loral satellite accordance with the requirements of Protostar.
The launch of Protostar 1 was July 7, 2008 from Guiana Space Centre by the company Arianespace. The satellite was stationed at 98.5 ° Ost098.5.
Second satellite
Also at the second satellite Protostar had access to a copy that was designed for another operator: On January 14, 2008 Boeing Satellite Systems announced that the company would build the Protostar 2 satellite for ProtoStar. These were around the nearly completed 8IR Galaxy, which had originally been ordered by PanAmSat, whose order was canceled but. Now the satellite for ProtoStar has been modified.
As with ProtoSat 1, the control center was designed and installed for Protostar 2 of the company Integral Systems.
Protostar 2 was launched on 16 May 2009 by a Proton rocket and placed in a geostationary position over India at 107.7 degrees Ost0107.7. From there, he supplied Indonesia, India, the Philippines and Taiwan with satellite TV. The S-band transponders were doing leased to the Indonesian company Indovision. For this reason, the satellite also Indostar 2 or Cakrawarta 2 was called ..
Bankruptcy
Even before the start of Protostar 1 there had been political difficulties. As a private company Protostar needed for the operation of a satellite, a national regulatory authority for oversight. To this end, Singapore agreed. The Governments of the People's Republic of China and the United Arab Emirates expressed technical concerns about the Protostar 1 and lamented lack of coordination.
After Singapore had withdrawn its jurisdiction, Protostar 1 was briefly officially without national supervisory authority until an agreement was announced with the international organization Intersputnik in September 2008, the Member State of Belarus also had rights to this orbital position.
First announced in early April 2009, the Lead Partner Agrani his contract with Protostar, then recanted Intersputnik the transmit approval because Protostar disturb one another satellite. Protostar denied both the effectiveness of the termination and the disturbances, but had to turn off the satellite so that the company had no revenue. Although the satellite Protostar 2 could be even taken in June 2009 in operation, but Protostar had on June 29, 2009 Join bankruptcy.
Protostar had at the time of the bankruptcy debtor about 100, especially Philippine Telephone with 27.5 million U.S. dollars and Agrani 8.1 million U.S. dollars, in addition also International Launch Services, Boeing Satellite Systems, Indostar and Arianespace.
As part of the bankruptcy estate, the two operational satellites were auctioned. Protostar 1 and ended on 31 October 2009 by 210 million U.S. dollars to the operator Intelsat, Eutelsat and nine other competitors had outbid. The satellite was renamed Intelsat 25 and placed at 31.5 ° West0 -31.5 over the Atlantic Ocean. In another auction secured on 16 December 2009 SES for 185 million U.S. dollars, the satellite Protostar 2 This was renamed SES -7, placed at 108.2 ° Ost0108.2 and integrated into the network of SES World Skies. The S -band transponders were leased to it Indovision.
The company ProtoStar Ltd.. expired on 21 October 2010.
Joint Venture in Bermuda
On October 2, 2008 after Protostar had gone 1 in commercial operation, founded the company Protostar and Kiskadee Communications, whose seat was also in Bermuda, a joint venture named Protostar Kiskadee. The aim was to use a lucrative satellite position, the ITU Bermuda had assigned, and what Kiskadee had an exclusive right of use. However, since Protostar went bankrupt, lost Kiskadee in June 2010 the opportunity to use this satellite position. After the company Protostar was extinguished, Kiskadee sued in early 2011 the former chairman Philip Father and the former Technical Director Eugene Cacciamani 18.25 million U.S. dollars in damages. They were accused of having Proto Stars secretive financial situation, although it must have been clear to them that it was impossible that the joint venture would use this unique opportunity can. The suit was dismissed in March 2012.