13/04/2015 - The SICRAL 15 military telecommunications satellite will be put into orbit on April 2. The launch is scheduled for 21:43 (Italian time) with an Arianespace carrier from the European spaceport of Kourou, in French Guiana.

SICRAL 2 is a cooperation program of the Italian Ministry of Defense and the French Directorate General of Armaments (DGA), which have a share of respectively 62% and 38%, and was created by Thales Alenia Space and Telespazio, the two companies that make up the Space Alliance between Finmeccanica and Thales.

Located on a geostationary orbit at 36mila km, SICRAL 2 will have an operating life of over 15 years and will enhance satellite communication capabilities already assured, for Italy, by SICRAL 1 and SICRAL 1B (launched in 2001 and 2009) and, for France, from Syracuse 3A and Syracuse 3B (launched in 2005 and 2006).

The satellite will provide strategic and tactical satellite communication services, supporting terrestrial, naval and air military platforms used by the Armed Forces to guarantee internal and external security.

Source: Telespazio