Galaxy 16, a high- power fixed satellite service (FSS) spacecraft built for PanAmSat Corporation (NYSE:PA) by Space Systems/Loral (SS/L), was successfully launched today at 12:50 am PDT. The satellite was delivered into a geosynchronous transfer orbit aboard a Sea Launch Zenit-3SL rocket from the Odyssey Launch Platform, positioned on the equator in the Pacific Ocean. Space Systems/Loral is a subsidiary of Loral Space & Communications.
Galaxy 16 carries 24 high-power Ku-band and 24 C-band transponders. From its orbital location at 99 degrees West longitude, Galaxy 16 will provide coverage for data and video services, including HDTV broadcasts and IPTV, across the entire United States, including Alaska, Hawaii and Puerto Rico, in addition to Canada and Mexico.
The satellite is the fourth spacecraft built for PanAmSat by SS/L. A fifth, Galaxy 18, is currently under construction at SS/L’s facility in Palo Alto, Calif., scheduled for delivery in 2007.
http://www.loral.comhttp://www.panamsat.com
- In October 2005, the third of PanAmSat’s next-generation satellites, the Galaxy 15, was successfully launched by an Ariane 5 rocket from French Guiana.
Galaxy 15 carries 24 C-band transponders and two L-band transponders that will allow PanAmSat to expand its HDTV and video distribution for its key cable partners.
