UAE-based Yahsat has announced the completion of the Preliminary Design Review (PDR) for its third satellite, the Al Yah 3. The satellite is expected to cover 17 countries and  600 million users with broadband services, representing more than 95% of the population in Brazil and 60% of the population in Africa.

The satellite operator says Al Yah 3, which is based on Orbital's GEOStar-3™ platform, is an all Ka High Throughput Satellite to be designed, manufactured and tested at Orbital's satellite manufacturing facility in Dulles, VA.

In a statement Yahsat described the PDR as "a comprehensive review that validated Orbital's design approach to the physical and functional requirements of the spacecraft."

The review is the first step toward confirming that the satellite will operate effectively on orbit, the statement added.

Marcus Vilaça, Acting Chief Technical Officer said, "The Preliminary Design Review is an industry standard process where our engineers review and confirm the overall architecture and design of our Al Yah 3 satellite. This is a significant step forward in the development phase of Al Yah 3 and ensures that we are on track to launch as scheduled for Q4 2016. While progress is underway with developing our third satellite, we are actively engaging with potential partners in Africa and Brazil enabling us to deploy much needed connectivity to underserved markets."

"This important milestone is a key step towards the Al Yah 3 launch", said Christopher Richmond, Orbital's Senior Vice President. "Al Yah 3 will be the first hybrid electric propulsion GEOStar-3-based spacecraft to be launched by Orbital at the end of 2016. It provides the benefits of higher power and greater payload capability while still maintaining advantageous launch costs."

In September last year Yahsat CEO Masood M. Sharif Mahmood was quoted as saying that the Company would continue to explore ground partners and distributors across Africa and Brazil.

"Our aim is not just to launch a satellite, but also provide a 360 degree service platform to facilitate the distribution of broadband and connectivity services in our target markets," Mahmood said.