Nilesat 101 was an Egyptian owned geosynchronous communications satellite. Launched by an Ariane 4 rocket from Kourou, French Guiana on 28 April 1998 at 22:53:00 UTC by Arianespace, it was manufactured by the European company Matra Marconi Space (Astrium), and started official broadcasting on 31 May 1998 with an Expected Life Time of 15 years. At launch the spacecraft had a gross mass of 1,840 kg. In February 2013 the satellite was decommissioned and raised into a graveyard orbit, permanently ending its service.