SES AMERICOM Retires Spacenet-4 After 15 Years of Service; Excellent fuel management extended spacecraft service life through two major missions.

PRINCETON, N.J. -- SES AMERICOM, an SES GLOBAL Company (Luxembourg and Paris Euronext exchanges:SESG), conducted its last operations on the Spacenet-4 (SN-4) satellite, safely de-orbiting the satellite more than 200 km beyond the geosynchronous orbital belt. Since late 2000, the satellite provided C-band intercontinental connectivity across the Pacific Ocean from 172 degrees E.L. to customers delivering content between East Asia and the U.S. west coast. In operation since 1991, SN-4 exceeded its expected service life by more than 50% due to efficient management of on-board fuel.

"Spacenet-4 was a valuable spacecraft in our fleet and provided consistent services to a great variety of customers while it operated over the U.S. at 101 degrees West. During its 15 years of service, SN-4 supported broadcasters, cable programmers, government agencies, educational institutions, advanced aeronautical and maritime services, and private corporate networks delivering television, data, internet access and distance learning. It's a great reflection on the quality of the spacecraft, as well as the quality of the team that operated it, that we could depend on SN-4 for so long," said Dany Harel, SES AMERICOM Vice President, Space Systems and Operations.

About Spacenet 4 spacecraft

The Series 3000 spacecraft was built by GE ASTRO SPACE, now Lockheed Martin, with a design life of 10 years. Initially operated by GTE Spacenet, a VSAT services company acquired by GE AMERICOM in 1994, Spacenet-4 was launched on a Delta rocket from Cape Canaveral, Florida in April 1991. The communications payload on the spacecraft was comprised of six 72 MHz and twelve 36 MHz C-band transponders plus six 72 MHz Ku-band transponders. SN-4's original mission was at 101 degrees W.L., where it operated until early 2000 when it was relocated to 81 degrees W.L. and later that year, to 172 degrees E.L. The satellite's primary Tracking, Telemetry and Control operations were performed at AMERICOM's Satellite Control Center at Woodbine, Maryland. In the long service history of the spacecraft, its customers included Connexion by Boeing, Gannet, L-3 Communications, MCI Worldcom, The New York Times, Turner Broadcasting, and the U.S. Government (including Departments of Defense and Justice).

About SES AMERICOM

The largest supplier of satellite services in the Americas, SES AMERICOM, Inc. is recognized as a pioneer of global satellite communications services. Established in 1973 with its first satellite circuit for the U.S. Department of Defense, the company currently operates a fleet of 17 spacecraft in orbital positions predominantly providing service throughout the Americas. As a member of the SES GLOBAL family, SES AMERICOM is able to provide end-to-end telecommunications solutions to any region in the world. In 2001, the company established AMERICOM Government Services, a wholly owned subsidiary dedicated to providing satellite-based communications solutions to both civilian and defense agencies of the U.S. government. With its combined operations, SES AMERICOM serves broadcasters, cable programmers, aeronautical and maritime communications integrators, Internet service providers, mobile communications networks, government agencies, educational institutions, carriers and secure global data networks with efficient communication and content distribution solutions.