Uplink Activity 6/12/08 3:00 AM EDT - Activity at 148w

E-5 is very little life in it because of attitude control system failures that require greater use of propellant to keep the satellite stabilized so I don't think it is going anywhere except to a higher grave orbit. The E-8 satellite is available after E-11 is launched so it could be moved to any of a number of other slots including 119, 129, 138 or 148. After E-11, the next satellite is E-14 a spotbeam that I believe was scheduled to be launched in 2009 to the 119 W slot. This information was reported in a Dish financial report a few quarters back so things maybe changed.
I don't think it normally takes that much fuel/propellant to move a satellte from one slot to another so an estimate of the loss of two years of life on E-1 and E-2 is very conservative.
 
The E-8 satellite is available after E-11 is launched so it could be moved to any of a number of other slots...
E*8 is a relatively new and well functioning satellite, so I am sure it will be reserved for a major role.
It would have to be in a slot where E* is looking to use at least 16 transponders, as well as a slot that is CONUS rather than spot beams.
They may reserve it for backup use at 110/119 - which is still the majority of their business - because there will be no backup when E*6 moves...
 
As I mentioned, Dish just moved a new channel to E*2 yesterday, and they changed transponders to MPEG4-HD, so they wouldn't bother with that if they were clearing E*2.

and

The E-8 satellite is available after E-11 is launched so it could be moved to any of a number of other slots including 119, 129, 138 or 148.

Well, we were all wrong.

E* applied to the FCC, to move both E*2 and E*8 to 77 west.

So, the transponders on E*2 that were changed to MPEG4-HD are being tested for eventual use at 77w.

The new SD channel on E*2 will probably move soon to E*1 along with the whole DMA...
 

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