ROCKVILLE, MD - April 24, 2006 - XTAR, LLC, a joint venture between Loral Space & Communications (NASDAQ: LORL) and HISDESAT, today announced that the second component of its X-band satellite network, XTAR-LANT, has completed in-orbit testing and has entered full commercial service. XTAR-LANT joins the XTAR-EUR satellite that entered service in April 2005.

"With the beginning of service on XTAR-LANT, XTAR can now offer X-band services in North America for homeland security applications and one-hop connectivity to Europe and the Middle East," said Denis Curtin, chief operating officer, XTAR. "The satellite's payload is extremely flexible. It covers a large geographic area with its two global beams and has three spot beams that can be relocated within the satellite's coverage area. This flexibility, added to XTAR-EUR's coverage in Asia, adds tremendous capabilities for government and military users across most of the globe."

Stationed at 30 degrees West longitude, XTAR-LANT carries eight 100W wide-band X-band transponders in both right- and left-hand circular polarization. This payload enables greater flexibility and enhanced capabilities utilizing legacy X-band equipment. The satellite is a 1300-class model built by Space Systems/Loral, Palo Alto, Calif, and has a specified service life of 15 years.

XTAR-LANT's coverage area encompasses a region extending from Denver in the United States to the South American and African continents and across the Atlantic to the Middle East. Combined with XTAR-EUR's coverage, XTAR can provide X-band capacity from Denver east to Singapore. XTAR-LANT's steerable spot beams that can be positioned anywhere within the satellite's footprint and is designed to be compatible with existing X-band terminals, including dishes under 2.4 meters.

HISDESAT Servicios Estrategicos S.A. is a Spanish company headquartered in Madrid. HISDESAT's aims are the acquisition, operation and commercialization of government-oriented space systems, beginning with satellite communications in the X- and Ka-band frequencies. HISDESAT is owned jointly by HISPASAT, S.A., the Spanish commercial satellite services company, INSA and the leaders of Spain's space industries: EADS-CASA Espacio, INDRA and SENER. For more information, visit www.hisdesat.es.

Loral Space & Communications is a satellite communications company. Its Space Systems/Loral division is a world-class leader in the design and manufacture of satellites and satellite systems for commercial and government applications including direct-to-home television, broadband communications, wireless telephony, weather monitoring and air traffic management. Through its Loral Skynet division, it owns and operates a fleet of telecommunications satellites used to broadcast video entertainment programming, distribute broadband data, and provide access to Internet services and other value-added communications services. For more information, visit Loral's web site at www.loral.com.

This document contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. In addition, Loral Space & Communications Inc. or its representatives have made or may make forward-looking statements, orally or in writing, which may be included in, but are not limited to, various filings made from time to time with the Securities and Exchange Commission, press releases or oral statements made with the approval of an authorized executive officer of the company. Actual results could differ materially from those projected or suggested in any forward-looking statements as a result of a wide variety of factors and conditions. Many of these factors and conditions are described in the section of the annual report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2005 of Loral Space & Communications Inc., entitled "Risk Factors," and the company's other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The reader is specifically referred to these documents.