7/21 UPDATE: Satellite delivered from Boeing to DirecTV. Now we're just days away!
http://www.satelliteguys.us/directv...satellite-tracking-testing-5.html#post1452485
LAUNCH SUCCESS ---The official news:
"The Block DM-SL upper stage inserted the 5,923 kg (13,058 lb) DIRECTV 11 satellite into geosynchronous transfer orbit, on its way to a final orbital position at 99.2 degrees West Longitude.
Boeing acquired a signal from the spacecraft at 10:44pm PDT (05:44 GMT), at the Hartebeesthoek Tracking facility in South Africa. "
Of course, this is great news. Over the next 70-90 days, DirecTV will conduct a myriad of tests on the unit, to assure all transponders, sensors, and other electronics onboard the D11 sat are functioning properly. Once test are complete, they'll start configurations for transponders to deploy specific channels.
Those events are now as critical to D11 as the launch. To this point, all is on target, but they still need to make sure the sat is operating as designed in the weeks and months ahead. You may recall D10 had a few transponder issues that seemed to have been rectified for the most part.
In any event, the launch mission was a success, now awaiting the activation phase. I found it interesting that the DirecTV announcement stated that D11 would be operational "in September". Perhaps this is to offset earlier startup speculation.
Additionally, DirecTV said it will launch yet another satellite *D12) in 2009 that will enable it to provide up to 200 national HD channels, which would indicate they have a launch contract nearly done or signed.
http://www.satelliteguys.us/directv...satellite-tracking-testing-5.html#post1452485
LAUNCH SUCCESS ---The official news:
"The Block DM-SL upper stage inserted the 5,923 kg (13,058 lb) DIRECTV 11 satellite into geosynchronous transfer orbit, on its way to a final orbital position at 99.2 degrees West Longitude.
Boeing acquired a signal from the spacecraft at 10:44pm PDT (05:44 GMT), at the Hartebeesthoek Tracking facility in South Africa. "
Of course, this is great news. Over the next 70-90 days, DirecTV will conduct a myriad of tests on the unit, to assure all transponders, sensors, and other electronics onboard the D11 sat are functioning properly. Once test are complete, they'll start configurations for transponders to deploy specific channels.
Those events are now as critical to D11 as the launch. To this point, all is on target, but they still need to make sure the sat is operating as designed in the weeks and months ahead. You may recall D10 had a few transponder issues that seemed to have been rectified for the most part.
In any event, the launch mission was a success, now awaiting the activation phase. I found it interesting that the DirecTV announcement stated that D11 would be operational "in September". Perhaps this is to offset earlier startup speculation.
Additionally, DirecTV said it will launch yet another satellite *D12) in 2009 that will enable it to provide up to 200 national HD channels, which would indicate they have a launch contract nearly done or signed.
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