Space Systems/Loral Delivers EchoStar XI Satellite to Launch Base

[Scott Greczkowski]

Space Systems/Loral Delivers EchoStar XI Satellite to Launch Base

May 28, 2008: 11:00 AM EST

PALO ALTO, Calif., May 28, 2008 (PRIME NEWSWIRE) -- Space Systems/Loral (SS/L), a subsidiary of Loral Space & Communications (Nasdaq:LORL) and the world's leading provider of high-power commercial satellites, today announced that it delivered EchoStar XI to the Sea Launch home port in Long Beach, Calif. on Tuesday, May 27.

"EchoStar XI is a powerful 20-kW satellite, designed to expand capacity for DISH Network," said John Celli, president and chief operating officer of Space Systems/Loral. "This is the fourth satellite that we have shipped for launch in 2008 and we expect to see a number of additional launches before the end of the year."

EchoStar XI is a powerful direct broadcast satellite (DBS), which was built for an affiliate of DISH Network Corporation. Launch is scheduled for later this summer, aboard a Zenit-3SL rocket from the Sea Launch Odyssey platform in the Pacific Ocean. The satellite will be the fifth SS/L built satellite in the DISH fleet.

"There is a good deal of anticipation as we gear up for the EchoStar XI launch," said Rohan Zaveri, Vice President of Space Programs for DISH Network. "Each time Space Systems/Loral delivers a satellite to DISH Network, we are reminded of the success of our ongoing working relationship and the company's ability to meet our evolving requirements."

EchoStar XI is based on SS/L's space-proven 1300 platform, which provides the flexibility for a broad range of applications. Following launch and in-orbit testing, the new satellite will support the expansion of DISH Network's programming and services.

 

[Hemi 6.1]

Good news!

 

[Rey]

Excellent scott!

 

[tigerfan33]

Let's keep our fingers crossed for this one.

I thought the launch date was sometime in July??

Will they test it this long before the launch??

 

[Hemi 6.1]

What locaction is this satellite going to ?

 

[Jeffro34tx]

Fingers Crossed!

 

[KE4EST]

Great to hear.

 

[Rey]

What locaction is this satellite going to ?

110 W SCHEDULED FOR JUNE

 

[flyingsquirrel]

So when will we get the insurance payment after it's launched? Isn't it using the same booster as AMC14?

 

[charlesrshell]

Awesome. Hope this one goes better than the last one.

 

[navychop]

So when will we get the insurance payment after it's launched? Isn't it using the same booster as AMC14?

No. Zenit vs Proton. Diff upper stages.

 

[jpdubose]

The Ciel bird (I forget the number) that's going to 129 is scheduled to launch from the same place and on the same rocket as AMC-14. It was supposed to go up around November or December, but someone here said recently that it had been pushed back to February I believe.

 

[bradb007]

purpose?

 

[db2]

Anything involving E* and their prospective birds is always a comedy of errors.

"Get your popcorn ready."

 

[kstuart]

What locaction is this satellite going to ?

It is going to 110 where it will replace EchoStar 8.

It has higher power, which will have two advantages:

- Less Rain Fade

- Less FEC (error correction) bits required, allowing more bandwidth on each transponder, allowing more channels to be added to 110 in a central CONUS location.

And, it frees up EchoStar 8 to be used as an in-orbit spare for 110 and 119, where currently E* has no spares at all.

 

[sampatterson]

Cool!

 

[rocatman]

110 W SCHEDULED FOR JUNE

It is actually scheduled to be launched around mid to late July. One thing that should be noted is the power level of 20 KWatts quoted in the story. This is extremely high. Recent press releases on the Ciel-2 satellite being launched to 129 W in early 2009 with 145 spotbeam TPs has a power level of 10.8 KWatts. Because E-11 is not a spotbeam satellite, testing should take a month or less unless there are problems.

 

[jansan]

Great news.

 

[Hemi 6.1]

110 W SCHEDULED FOR JUNE

So its really not going to have any impacked on Eastern arc Customers?

 

[Voyager6]

So its really not going to have any impacked on Eastern arc Customers?

Nope. Gotta wait for E6 to make it to 72.7 and then test before any real EA activity starts.