"We've got interest from a lot of satellite manufacturers," he said in the interview.

The radiation hardness assurance of satellite manufacturers has been continuously improved over the last decade.

The company was Europe's largest satellite manufacturer.

It is well known that European satellite manufacturers offer government-provided financing options to their customers.

It is projected that only two or three of the world's five commercial satellite manufacturers will survive current market conditions.

However, aggressive lobbying by satellite manufacturers persuaded Clinton and Gore to reverse their position.

American commercial satellite manufacturers (of which Loral is the third largest) do not rely on China for most of their launches.

Until now, direct-broadcast satellite technology has drawn interest mostly from satellite manufacturers and cable companies seeking to plug gaps in their service areas.

Foreign satellite manufacturers and operators say the rules could discourage them from buying American.

Nigeria is a risky customer for any satellite manufacturer.