Eutelsat Communications’ HOT BIRD 8 broadcasting satellite built by EADS Astrium arrived at the Baikonur Cosmodrome for launch on a Proton M Breeze M vehicle provided by ILS. Launch is scheduled for the night 04-August-2006.
HOT BIRD 8 is equipped with 64 Ku-band transponders and at 4.9 tonnes will be the largest satellite yet orbited by Eutelsat. Designed for television and radio broadcasting it will be positioned at 13 degrees East, Eutelsat’s prime video neighborhood, which delivers 950 television channels and 600 radio stations to 110 million cable and satellite homes in Europe, North Africa and the Middle East.
The satellite’s mission is to replace the 20 transponders on the HOT BIRD 3 satellite, which will continue service at a new location. In conjunction with HOT BIRD) 7A, which was launched in February 2006, it will also contribute to raising in-orbit redundancy at Eutelsat’s HOT BIRD neighborhood.
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