Space Systems/Loral (SS/L), a subsidiary of Loral Space & Communications (NASDAQ: LORL) and the world’s leading provider of commercial satellites, today announced that it has been selected to provide a new satellite to Hughes Network Systems, LLC, the global leader in broadband satellite networks and services. Hughes will operate the new satellite to deliver high-speed Internet access service across North America.

“We are very pleased to add Hughes to our list of valued customers,” said John Celli, president and chief operating officer of Space Systems/Loral. “Satellites for broadband communications are playing an important role in making high-speed Internet service available throughout the country. Space Systems/Loral is on the leading edge of manufacturing the high power, broadband satellites that enable this type of service."

Employing a multi-spot beam, bent pipe Ka-band architecture, the new geostationary satellite will provide significant additional capacity for HughesNet® service in North America and will augment the SPACEWAY® 3 satellite system, which Hughes put into commercial service in April, 2008.

Scheduled for launch in 2012, the new satellite is based on the powerful SS/L 1300 satellite platform, which provides the flexibility for a broad range of applications. The satellite is designed to provide service for 15 years or more.

About Hughes
Hughes Network Systems, LLC (HUGHES) is the global leader in providing broadband satellite networks and services for large enterprises, governments, small businesses, and consumers.  HughesNet encompasses all broadband solutions and managed services from Hughes, bridging the best of satellite and terrestrial technologies. Its broadband satellite products are based on global standards approved by the TIA, ETSI and ITU standards organizations, including IPoS/DVB-S2, RSM-A, and GMR-1. To date, Hughes has shipped more than 1.9 million systems to customers in over 100 countries.

Headquartered outside Washington, D.C., in Germantown, Maryland, USA, Hughes maintains sales and support offices worldwide. Hughes is a wholly owned subsidiary of Hughes Communications, Inc. (NASDAQ: HUGH).

About Space Systems/Loral
Based in Palo Alto, California, SS/L designs and builds satellites and spacecraft systems for commercial and government customers around the world.  As the leading provider of commercial satellites, the company works closely with satellite operators to deliver spacecraft for a broad range of services including direct-to-home television, digital audio radio, broadband Internet, and digital multimedia broadcasting. With more power on orbit than any other satellite manufacturer, SS/L helps customers meet business objectives with advanced solutions based on space-proven heritage designs. SS/L is a wholly owned subsidiary of Loral Space & Communications Inc., a satellite communications company (NASDAQ: LORL).