As
filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on August 4, 2004



# **FORM 6-K**

**SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE
  COMMISSION**
  **Washington, D.C. 20549**

**Report of Foreign
  Private Issuer****Pursuant to Rule 13a-16
  or 15d-16 ofThe Securities Exchange Act
  of 1934**



# New Skies Satellites
N.V.

Rooseveltplantsoen 4 
2517 KR The Hague
  The Netherlands

|Indicate by check mark whether the registrant files or will file annual reports under cover Form 20-F or Form 40-F
|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

| | Form 20-F...X... | Form 40-F......
| | ---------------- | ---------------

|Indicate by check mark whether the registrant by furnishing the information contained in this Form is also thereby furnishing the information to the Commission pursuant to Rule 12g3-2(b) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

| | Yes...... | No...X....
| | --------- | ----------

|If "Yes" is marked, indicate below the file number assigned to the registrant in connection with Rule 12g3-2(b): .............................N/A...................................................................................
|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------





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# 

# New Skies shareholders
  approve acquisition by Blackstone

The Hague, Netherlands, July
19, 2004  New Skies Satellites N.V. (AEX, NYSE: NSK), the global satellite
communications company, today announced that its shareholders have approved the sale of
the Company to affiliates of The Blackstone Group, a leading private investment firm, with
92.4% of shares in attendance voting for the acquisition.

A simple majority of those attending
the Extraordinary General Meeting of shareholders, which was held in The Hague today, was
required to approve the deal. The sale of the company, for $956 million in cash,
equivalent to approximately $7.96 per fully diluted share, will involve the transfer of
New Skies business and operations to Blackstone and the distribution of the cash
proceeds to New Skies shareholders. The sale will be structured as a sale of New
Skies assets and liabilities. New Skies business activities will be continued
under ownership by Blackstone and all employment obligations will be honored.

Since New Skies inception,
we have sought to manage the Company with one overriding principle guiding our actions and
decisions  the creation of shareholder value, said Dan Goldberg, chief
executive officer of New Skies Satellites. As such, we are gratified that our
shareholders have overwhelmingly approved our recommendation to approve this transaction
with Blackstone, a transaction that resulted from a thorough and comprehensive evaluation
process.

New Skies has filed all of the
requisite applications for regulatory approval and has already received early termination
of the required waiting period under the U.S. Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Act. New Skies
anticipates that the transaction will be completed by approximately the end of 2004 or
early 2005, following the receipt of the remaining approvals and satisfaction of other
customary closing conditions. At that time, an initial distribution of approximately 95%
of the sale proceeds will be paid to shareholders and a final distribution of the
remaining proceeds will be made shortly thereafter.

Goldman Sachs & Co. and N M
Rothschild & Sons Limited served as financial advisors to New Skies, and Cleary,
Gottlieb, Steen & Hamilton and De Brauw Blackstone Westbroek N.V. served as its legal
advisers. Morgan Stanley and Deutsche Bank Securities, Inc. served as financial advisors
to Blackstone, while Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP and NautaDutilh N.V. served as its
legal advisors. Deutsche Bank and ABN AMRO are providing acquisition financing for the
transaction.

# About New Skies Satellites

New Skies Satellites (AEX, NYSE: NSK)
is one of only four fixed satellite communications companies with truly global satellite
coverage, offering video, data, voice and Internet communications services to a range of
telecommunications carriers, broadcasters, large corporations, Internet service providers
and government entities around the world. New Skies has five satellites in orbit, ground
facilities around the world and one additional spacecraft under construction. The company
also has secured certain rights to make use of additional orbital positions for future
growth. New Skies is headquartered in The Hague, The Netherlands, and has offices in
Beijing, Hong Kong, New Delhi, São Paulo, Singapore, Sydney and Washington, D.C.
Additional information is available at www.newskies.com.

# About The Blackstone Group

The Blackstone Group, a private
investment and advisory firm with offices in New York, Atlanta, Boston, London and
Hamburg, was founded in 1985. The firm has raised a total of approximately $32 billion for
alternative asset investing since its formation. Over $14 billion of that has been for
private equity investing, including Blackstone Capital Partners IV, the largest
institutional private equity fund ever raised at $6.45 billion, and Blackstone
Communications Partners I, the largest dedicated communications and media fund at over
$2.0 billion. In addition to Private Equity Investing, The Blackstone Groups core
businesses are Private Real Estate Investing, Corporate Debt Investing, Marketable
Alternative Asset Management, Corporate Advisory, and Restructuring and Reorganization
Advisory. www.blackstone.com

 END 

For additional information, please
contact:
Elizabeth Hess 
VP Corporate Communications, New Skies Satellites 
Tel: +31 70
306 4133 Mobile + 31 (0)6 2906 2492 
Ehess@newskies.com

John Ford 
  VP Corporate
  Communications, The Blackstone Group 
  Tel: +1 212 583 5559 Mobile + 1 917 952 3275 Ford@blackstone.com



***Safe Harbor***

Section 27A of the U.S. Securities Act
of 1933 and Section 21E of the U.S. Securities Exchange Act of 1934 provide a safe
harbor for forward-looking statements made by an issuer of publicly traded
securities and persons acting on its behalf. New Skies Satellites N.V. has made certain
forward-looking statements in this document in reliance on those safe harbors. A
forward-looking statement concerns the companys or managements intentions or
expectations, or are predictions of future performance. These statements are identified by
words such as intends, expects, anticipates,
believes, estimates, may, will,
should and similar expressions. By their nature, forward-looking statements
are not a matter of historical fact and involve risks and uncertainties that could cause
New Skies actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by the
forward-looking statements for a number of reasons. Factors which may affect the future
performance of New Skies include: delays or problems in the construction or launch of
future satellites; technical performance of in-orbit satellites and earth-based
infrastructure; increased competition and changes in technology; growth of and access to
the companys target markets; legal and regulatory developments affecting the
companys business; and worldwide business and economic conditions, among other
things. These risks and other risks affecting New Skies business are described in
the companys periodic filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission,
including but not limited to New Skies Annual Report on Form 20-F for the year ended
December 31, 2003. Copies of these filings may be obtained by contacting the SEC. New
Skies disclaims any obligation to update the forward-looking statements contained in this
document.

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# SIGNATURES

Pursuant
to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused
this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.



New Skies Satellites N.V.



By: /s/ Andrew Browne
Name: Andrew Browne

Title:   CFO and Management
Board Member



Date: August 4, 2004