PAS-8, the third of three high-powered communications satellites built by Space Systems/Loral (SS/L) for
PanAmSat Corp., was successfully launched into orbit today at 12:12 a.m.
EDT (0512 GMT) on a Proton rocket from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in
Kazakhstan.
The launch of PAS-8 extends SS/L¿s role as a premier supplier of
advanced high-powered video and telecommunications satellites optimized
for digital traffic. The satellite has more than 10 kilowatts of total
on-board power, providing PanAmSat with one of the most powerful
packages of trans-Pacific coverage available.
PanAmSat Corporation, based in Greenwich, Conn., is the world¿s leading commercial provider of satellite-based communications services. The company operates a global network of 18 satellites, including PAS-8, supported by PanAmSat professionals on five continents. These resources enable PanAmSat to provide video and telecommunications services to hundreds of customers worldwide.
From a geosynchronous orbital location at 166 degrees East Longitude
above the Pacific Ocean, PAS-8 will deliver advanced digital-quality
video and telecommunications services throughout the Asia-Pacific
region. The satellite carries 24 C-band transponders and 24 Ku-band
transponders.
PanAmSat¿s PAS-6, -7, and -8 spacecraft are all based on SS/L’s
three-axis, body-stabilized FS-1300 bus, whose modular design has proven
its worth during more than 290 years of cumulative on-orbit service,
nearly half the total of 650 plus years amassed by all SS/L satellites
to date. Each bus is tailored to meet PanAmSat¿s specific
communications goals.
The FS-1300 buses are designed to achieve long useful orbital life — in
this case, 15 years — through use of a bipropellant propulsion system
and a momentum-bias system for excellent stationkeeping and orbital
stability. Solar arrays and nickel-hydrogen batteries provide
uninterrupted electrical power.
The 3,800-kilogram PAS-8 satellite was launched at 10:12 a.m. local time (12:12 a.m. Eastern Standard time) on a Proton rocket from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan today. PAS-8, an FS 1300 spacecraft built by Space Systems/Loral, contains 24 C-band and 24 Ku-band transponders and will be located at 166 degrees East Longitude. PAS-8’s orbital location
is three degrees west of PAS-2, PanAmSat’s first Pacific Ocean Region satellite, enabling PanAmSat to provide complementary services over the two satellites. PAS-8 was the company’s second Proton launch.
“Today’s successful launch of PAS-8 reflects PanAmSat’s long-term commitment to Asia. Now with four satellites and two sales offices serving the region, PanAmSat continues to offer superior satellite technology and customer service,” said Frederick A. Landman, PanAmSat’s president and chief executive officer. “In addition, our goal to grow our worldwide fleet to 25 satellites over the next 18 months is moving forward on schedule.”
