Exhibit 10.15.6
ARIANESPACE CONFIDENTIAL AND PROPRIETARY
This Amendment #1 to the Side Letter to the Launch Services Agreement 95.5.933
between the Parties is entered into between:
ARIANESPACE S.A., a company organized under the laws of France and having its
principal office at Xxxxxxxxx xx x'Xxxxxx, 00000 XXXX, Xxxxxx.
and
PanAmSat Corporation a company organized under the laws of the State of Delaware
with principal offices located at One Pickwick Plaza, Greenwich, Connecticut,
U.S.A.
Reference is made to the Launch Services Agreement 95.5.933 executed between
PanAmSat Corporation and ARIANESPACE on December 20th, 1995, for the Launch of
PanAmSat Satellites (said Agreement being hereinafter referred to as the
"Agreement" and the Launches covered under said Agreement being hereafter
referred to as the "Launches").
On December 20th 1995, the Parties entered into a side letter to the Agreement
("the Side Letter"). This Amendment #1 to the Side Letter amends and replaces
the terms of the Side Letter.
The two Parties agree that the conditions listed hereafter shall be applicable
to the Launches. Unless otherwise indicated, words defined under the Agreement
shall have the same meaning in the present Amendment #1 to the Side Letter.
I.
In order to give PanAmSat greater schedule flexibility, the Agreement foresees
the use of either the Ariane 4 or the Ariane 5 Launch Vehicles to perform the
Launches.
The Parties agree that the Ariane 5 Launch Vehicle shall be the preferred Launch
Vehicle for the Launches and that ARIANESPACE shall use its best efforts to
affect Ariane 5 Launch Vehicles to the Launches under the terms and conditions
of the Agreement.
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II.
If despite these efforts, ARIANESPACE is unable to affect an Ariane 5 Launch
Vehicles to any of the Launches within the contractual launch schedule provided
for under the Agreement, ARIANESPACE shall inform PanAmSat as soon as possible
and PanAmSat shall have the option to wait for the next scheduled Ariane 5
Launch Vehicle for which there is a Launch Possibility or have the relevant
Satellite Launched as scheduled on an Ariane 4 Launch Vehicle.
In the event that ARIANESPACE shall be obliged to postpone the launch of a
satellite of another client of ARIANESPACE ("Third Party Launch") in order to
make available a Launch Possibility for Customer's Satellite, then, in
determining which satellite to retain on such Third Party Launch, ARIANESPACE
shall retain the satellite which is compatible in size with PanAmSat's Satellite
or, if two or more satellites on such Third Party Launch are compatible in size
and in class with PanAmSat's Satellite, ARIANESPACE shall apply the criteria
numbered (1) to (3) inclusive in, and in the order which is set out in
Sub-paragraph 11.3.2. of this Article 11 of the Agreement.
III.
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[***] Filed separately with the Commission pursuant to a request for
confidential treatment.
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IV.
Notwithstanding the provisions of Paragraphs I to III above, the Parties agree
that:
a) Paragraph I to III shall not be applicable to Firm Launch #2 under the
Agreement if said Launch is accelerated under the provisions of Paragraph
11.5 of the Agreement to a date prior to 1 January 1999, and
b) ***************************************************************************
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V.
Notwithstanding the terms of Paragraphs 4.1.5 and 13.1.5 of the Agreement, in
the event that, under the Agreement and/or this Side Letter, PanAmSat shall be
entitled to a Reflight for an initial Satellite of a baseline mass of 3450 kg,
Customer shall, at the time of order of the Reflight, have the right to increase
the mass of the Satellite object of the Reflight up to a baseline mass of 4500
kg. Said increase in mass shall be subject to the payment of a sum of [*****
**********************] ("the Optional Mass Price"). This sum shall be due and
payable at the time of order of the Replacement Launch. The Optional Mass Price
is valid for a Launch to take place prior to 1 April 1999 and for Launches
beyond this date, this price shall be increased by a factor of [**************]
per the number of calendar quarters or portion thereof between 1 April 1999 and
the first day of the initial Launch Period for the Reflight.
[***] Filed separately with the Commission pursuant to a request for
confidential treatment.
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VI.
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VII.
The Parties agree that in the event that PanAmSat declines an available Ariane 4
Launch Vehicle proposed by ARIANESPACE in order to wait for an Ariane 5 Launch
Vehicle under the provisions of Paragraph II hereof, the delay between the
Ariane 4 Launch Period or Launch Slot and the Ariane 5 Launch Period or Launch
Slot shall not be considered to constitute a postponement of the Launch by
either Party within the meaning of Article 11 of the Agreement.
[***] Filed separately with the Commission pursuant to a request for
confidential treatment.
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VIII.
This Side Letter constitutes an amendment to the Agreement within the meaning of
its Paragraph 20.6 and the terms of this Side Letter shall prevail in the event
of any inconsistency with the terms of the Agreement. This Side Letter shall
remain confidential and unless indicated expressly otherwise, authorization to
disclose the Agreement shall not include authorization to disclose this Side
Letter.
Executed this 8th day of January, 1998.
FOR ARIANESPACE FOR PANAMSAT CORPORATION
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