New Skies' NSS-7 Atlantic Ocean region satellite successfully launched into orbit.

Business Editors

THE HAGUE, The Netherlands--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 17, 2002

Spacecraft lifts off on 12-year mission to deliver high-power

communications services across four continents

New Skies Satellites N.V. (AEX, NYSE: NSK), the global satellite communications company, successfully launched its first new satellite, NSS-7, early this morning from the European spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana.

NSS-7 lifted off from the Guiana Space Center aboard an Ariane 4 rocket at 1:02 A.M. Central European Daylight Time (20:02 local Kourou time, April 16). The first acquisition of the satellite's telemetry was at 2:07 A.M. CEDT (21:07 P.M. local Kourou time, April 16). Arianespace, the European commercial launch services provider, performed the launch.

"Today's successful launch of the NSS-7 satellite marks the beginning of a new chapter in our history and development as a global satellite communications company," said Dan Goldberg, New Skies' chief executive officer. "After more than three years of continually striving to maximize the potential of the resources we inherited, we now have a satellite that was procured, designed and launched by New Skies, optimized to meet current and future market demands and customer requirements."

"In addition, when NSS-7 goes into commercial service later this year, it will drive a significant portion of current revenues and help fuel future growth," Goldberg continued. "We will now focus on getting NSS-7 ready for our customers and continuing the preparations for the launch of NSS-6 later this year."

NSS-7 will be positioned at 338.5 degrees East longitude over the Atlantic Ocean and will offer enhanced coverage of the Americas, Europe and Africa. Upon its service commencement, the satellite will replace NSS-K and free NSS-803 to be re-positioned over the Pacific Ocean at 183 degrees East. Upon reaching its new orbital location, NSS-803 will provide more robust capacity for services throughout the Asia-Pacific region as well as trans-oceanic connectivity to the United States.

NSS-7 was built by Lockheed Martin Commercial Space System and designed using the A2100AX platform. The satellite boasts a communications payload consisting of nearly 3,500 MHz of capacity. The bandwidth is spread over 36 C-band and 36 Ku-band transponders in 11 high-powered coverage beams, which are focused on key developed and emerging markets throughout the Americas, Europe, Africa and the Middle East. The extensive switching capability between beams and between frequency bands offers enhanced connectivity between regions and makes it possible to tailor capacity to match current and evolving Internet and video traffic patterns in the Atlantic Ocean Region. NSS-7's high downlink power levels also will enable the use of smaller, more efficient receive systems for the delivery of Internet and data services.

About New Skies Satellites

New Skies Satellites (AEX, NYSE: NSK) is one of only four fixed satellite communications companies with truly global satellite coverage, offering video, voice, data and Internet communications services to a range of telecommunications carriers, broadcasters, large corporations and Internet service providers around the world. New Skies has five satellites in geosynchronous orbit and ground facilities around the world. In addition to NSS-7, the company also has two new spacecraft under construction, which are planned to serve the Americas and Asia from two new orbital locations. In line with its growth strategy, the company has secured certain rights to make use of four additional orbital positions. New Skies is headquartered in The Hague, The Netherlands, and has offices in London, Johannesburg, New Delhi, Sao Paulo, Singapore, Sydney and Washington, D.C. Additional information is available at www.newskies.com.

Additional information is available at http://www.newskies.com or please contact: Elizabeth Hess, New Skies Satellites Tel: [phone] Mobile [phone] [e-mail]

Safe Harbor 

Section 27A of the U.S. Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the U.S. Securities Exchange Act of 1934 provide a "safe harbor" for forward-looking statements made by an issuer of publicly traded securities and persons acting on its behalf. New Skies Satellites N.V. has made certain forward-looking statements in this document in reliance on those safe harbors. A forward-looking statement concerns the company's or management's intentions or expectations, or are predictions of future performance. These statements are identified by words such as "intends", "expects", "anticipates", "believes", "estimates", "may", "will", "should" and similar expressions. By their nature, forward-looking statements are not a matter of historical fact and involve risks and uncertainties that could cause New Skies' actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements for a number of reasons. Factors which may affect the future performance of New Skies include: delays or problems in the construction or launch of future satellites; technical performance of in-orbit satellites and earth-based infrastructure; increased competition and changes in technology; growth of and access to the company's target markets; legal and regulatory developments affecting the company's business; and worldwide business and economic conditions, among other things. These risks and other risks affecting New Skies' business are described in the company's periodic filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, including but not limited to New Skies' Annual Report on Form 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2000. Copies of these filings may be obtained by contacting the SEC. New Skies disclaims any obligation to update the forward-looking statements contained in this document.