PRINCETON, N.J. --- The Americom-16 (AMC-16) satellite of SES Americom, an SES Global Company, has been delivered to Cape Canaveral to prepare it for its scheduled Atlas V launch on December 16, 2004.
The A2100AX model spacecraft was built by Lockheed Martin and is being launched by International Launch Services (ILS) for service at the 85 degrees West longitude orbital position. The hybrid Ku-band/Ka-band satellite will support advanced video and broadband services for EchoStar Communications Corp.
AMC-16 will feature the second operating Ka-band payload in the SES Americom fleet. Its "twin," AMC-15, was launched by ILS in October on a Proton launch vehicle from the Baikonur Cosmodrome and is currently undergoing in-orbit testing. AMC-16 carries twelve 125 MHz Ka-band spot beams, along with twenty-four 36 MHz, 140 watt Ku-band transponders. As the second satellite dedicated to Americom2Home, the spacecraft has been optimized to provide both Direct-to-Home video and broadband services into a single dish. After the launch, SES Americom will complete the testing of all spacecraft systems and ready the satellite for service.
Romain Bausch, Chairman of the SES Americom Board, said, "AMC-16 is strategic for Americom in that it will enable the next generation combination of direct-to-home services to be enjoyed by DISH Network subscribers. As we expand our pivotal relationship with EchoStar, our collaboration on the development of advanced video and broadband solutions is clearly aiming at totally integrated, efficient and affordable systems."
The AMC-16 spacecraft was flown to Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, FL, on an Antonov cargo plane that departed Moffett Air Force Base, California on November 8th. The load was massive, with a cumulative weight of two tons. Once the spacecraft was unpacked, a team of Americom, Lockheed Martin and ILS engineers and launch specialists began a sequence of final preparations leading to the mid-December launch. These preparations include launch site testing, spacecraft fueling, integrating the satellite into the fairing, mating the fairing with the Atlas V, a final set of tests, and roll-out of the rocket to the launch pad.
Dozens of SES Americom customers are scheduled to gather at Cape Canaveral to view the December 16th launch along with SES Americom, Astra and Global staff, insurers, press and other invited guests, for what is expected to be a spectacular pre-dawn lift-off. The 115-minute launch window opens at 4:41 a.m. EST, with broadcast of the launch beginning about 20 minutes before that. The video will be available via satellite in C-band via AMC-9 located at 85 degrees West.
ILS is a joint venture of Lockheed Martin Corp. in the United States, manufacturer of the Atlas rocket, and Khrunichev State Research and Production Space Center of Russia, builder of the Proton rocket. ILS provides launch services on the Atlas and Proton vehicles to customers worldwide.
Lockheed Martin Commercial Space Systems markets, designs and builds geostationary and non-geostationary telecommunications and remote sensing satellites for customers worldwide.
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AMC-16 Satellite Good to Go for December 16 Launch
