Boeing

EL SEGUNDO, Calif., May 18, 2009 – The Boeing Company [NYSE: BA] and ProtoStar Ltd. today announced that the IndoStar II/ProtoStar II satellite is healthy and operating normally following the successful acquisition of the spacecraft’s first on-orbit signals. The new satellite will double ProtoStar’s existing capacity and provide direct-to-home (DTH) broadcasting and telecommunications services to millions of households across Indonesia, India, the Philippines and Taiwan.

IndoStar II/ProtoStar II launched at 5:57 p.m. Pacific time on May 15 on an International Launch Services (ILS) Proton Breeze M rocket from the Baikonur Cosmodrome launch pad in Kazakhstan. The ground station in Hartebeesthoek, South Africa, reported signal acquisition nine hours and 57 minutes later at 3:54 a.m. Pacific time on May 16.

"The launch of IndoStar II/ProtoStar II is our second launch of eight scheduled this year and will bring new or expanded direct-to-home television service to ProtoStar’s customers in a large region of Asia," said Craig Cooning, vice president and general manager of Boeing Space and Intelligence Systems. "The successful launch of this spacecraft underscores Boeing’s dedication to bringing the spacecraft from design, integration and testing to successful delivery. We are very pleased to have a role assisting ProtoStar in the expansion of its satellite services."

Philip Father, president and CEO of ProtoStar, added that “this successful launch reflects a major milestone in ProtoStar’s expanding fleet to service Asia’s growing DTH/broadband markets as well as providing customized capacity for Indovision’s DTH service expansion in Indonesia.”

With nearly 10,000 watts of communications power, IndoStar II/ProtoStar II’s high-powered S- and Ku-band payload will provide up to 500 direct-to-home channels throughout Southeast Asia and the Indian subcontinent. The advanced payload includes Ku-band coverage that also can be switched between the Philippines, Taiwan and Indonesia to add additional, high-power capacity for DTH and broadband Internet service. Boeing built the 601HP-model satellite at its manufacturing facility in El Segundo, Calif., which encompasses 1 million square feet of assembly, integration and test facilities.

ProtoStar Ltd., a Bermuda company with subsidiaries in Bermuda, San Francisco, CA and Singapore, was formed to acquire and operate high-power geostationary satellites optimized for DTH satellite television, broadband Internet and GSM cellular backhaul service providers across the Asia-Pacific region. The firm is led by seasoned veterans from the satellite, direct-to-home television, telecommunications and finance industries.  For more information, please visit: www.protostarsat.com.

A unit of The Boeing Company, Boeing Integrated Defense Systems is one of the world's largest space and defense businesses specializing in innovative and capabilities-driven customer solutions, and the world’s largest and most versatile manufacturer of military aircraft. Headquartered in St. Louis, Boeing Integrated Defense Systems is a $32 billion business with 70,000 employees worldwide.

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Contact:

Angie Chen
Space & Intelligence Systems
(310) 364-6708
angie.e.chen@boeing.com

Diana Ball
Space & Intelligence Systems
(562) 797-4303
diana.ball@boeing.com

Eui Koh
ProtoStar Asia
+65 9668 8990
ekoh@protostarsat.com