(Photo courtesy of Thaicom)
The National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) board has given Thaicom until September 2027 to launch the Thaicom 9 satellite to replace the ageing Thaicom 4 to 119.5° East, in order to maintain Thailand's orbital slot rights.An NBTC source who requested anonymity said the board voted 4-3 on May 12 to grant the extension to Thaicom subsidiary Space Tech Innovation (STI), citing force majeure circumstances linked to manufacturing delays of Thaicom 9.
Thaicom secured the rights to use the 119.5° E orbital slot in an NBTC auction in January 2023.
The auction conditions required the company to replace Thaicom 4 with a new satellite three years after obtaining the rights to the slot, with the original deadline set for May 15, 2026.
According to Thaicom, US-based satellite manufacturer Astranis encountered technical problems with components, forcing a delay in the construction and launch schedule of Thaicom 9.
