Echostar 15 Moves to 119W

[nelson61]

Echostar 14 at 119w has both spot and conus coverage.
The Echostar 15 move can replace the conus coverage of E14.

No new bandwidth can be added.

 

[nelson61]

Echostar 15 has two essentially identical Conus beams.
This is the WTXR beam at 119W

 

[nelson61]

EchoStar 15 has departed 61.5W and is on the way to 119W

Presently ~50 km above geostationary, at ~64W and moving west at ~0.5 degrees per day.

This indicates arrival at 119W around the middle of August

 

[Derek K]

Moving from one orbital slot to another uses little fuel.

Don't they already have another satellite on order?

Depends on which direction. Not sure if its east to west or west to east, but one direction they can allow the satellite to drift burning less fuel.

 

[Jim5506]

Depends on which direction. Not sure if its east to west or west to east, but one direction they can allow the satellite to drift burning less fuel.

It's more a matter of moving slightly higher or slightly lower in its orbit. Higher drifts it west lower drifts it east, then you stop the drift.
Length of burn determines how fast the objective is achieved. Burns are relatively short spurts not continuous burns whether east or west.

 

[telstar_1]

I guess that would stand to reason- lower orbit (than geo) = movement faster than earth rotation whilst a higher orbit = movement slower than rotation. Plus you don't want a sat coming across other geosats on the trip

 

[nelson61]

E15 has drifted half way to it's new location - 119W
Today it is around ~ 90W - south of St Louis

 

[nelson61]

E15 has passed bt the 110W slot and will be at 119 around the 1st of August. Probably will see things changing sometime in the first full week of august.

 

[That American Girl]

E15 has passed bt the 110W slot and will be at 119 around the 1st of August. Probably will see things changing sometime in the first full week of august.

So, for those with portable dishes..61.5 is no longer physically in the sky in the southeast, but will be physically in the 'same' area as 119, roughly?

No longer aim east, but aim west? Right?

 

[navychop]

???

Different satellites. More than one can be in the same location, as there's a lot of territory in the "same location" way up there.

 

[That American Girl]

???

Different satellites. More than one can be in the same location, as there's a lot of territory in the "same location" way up there.

Ahh, so there's still a sat for '61.5' still in the old position then? Eastern arc?

15 moved, but the others (I think) 12 and 16 are still in the old spot... right?

 

[nelson61]

15 moved, but the others (I think) 12 and 16 are still in the old spot... right?

E16 and E18 are at 61.5W

 

[Foxbat]

Ahh, so there's still a sat for '61.5' still in the old position then? Eastern arc?

My Hopper 3 certainly thinks there's a satellite there!

E16 and E18 are at 61.5W

Thanks for the clarification…

 

[nelson61]

EchoStar 15 is on station at the nominal 119W slot.
I would guess some channel or programming changes will start showing up in the next week or two (assuming it was moved there to replace degraded coverage)..