OREANDA-NEWS. October 22, 2008. Arianespace and Thales Alenia Space today announced the signature of the launch Service & Solutions contract for the pan-African communications satellite, Rascom-QAF 1R.
  
Rascom-QAF 1R is scheduled for launch into geostationary transfer orbit in 2010. It will be launched by an Ariane 5 or Soyuz rocket from Europe`s Spaceport in French Guiana.
  
Rascom-QAF 1R, built by Thales Alenia Space as part of a turnkey contract with the Regional African Satellite Communication Organization (RascomStar-QAF), will provide telecommunication services in rural areas of Africa over a period of 15 years, along with domestic and international connections, direct TV broadcast services and Internet access.