SupremeSAT
Sri Lankan satellite operator
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
SupremeSAT (Pvt) Ltd. is a Sri Lankan satellite operator.[1] It is a wholly owned subsidiary of Supreme Global holdings.[2] It's had a partnership with satellite manufacturer China Great Wall Industry Corporation (CGWIC) since 2013. The company is controversial for its ties with the Rajapaksa family of Sri Lanka.[3]
SupremeSAT deployed the first Sri Lankan satellite, Supreme SAT-I on November 12, 2012, launched on Long March 3B from Xichang, China.[4] Supreme SAT-I is jointly owned by China's CGWIC and Supreme Global Holdings. SupremeSAT became the 27th private company in the world to own a satellite.[5]
Satellite fleet
| Satellite | Location | Launched | Type | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ChinaSat 12 | 87.5°E | November 27, 2012 | SB4000C2 | Manufacturer: Thales Alenia Space |
| SupremeSAT-II | 98°E | Planned mid 2018 | DFH-4 | Manufacturer: China Academy Of Space Technology (CAST). Satellite will have KU band. |
| SupremeSAT-III | 50°E | ? | - | Planned to shift the businesses from SupremeSAT-I & SupremeSAT-II to SupremeSAT-III.[6] |
Controversies
There are numerous allegations that the funding came from the Sri Lankan government and the funds were mishandled.[7] President Mahinda Rajapaksa's son Rohitha Rajapaksa played a key role in the project and is believed to have business links.[8][3][9] SupremeSAT denies these allegations [10]