PanAmSat Corporation announced today that its PAS-8 Pacific Ocean Region satellite has arrived in Kazakhstan to begin preparations for an early November launch aboard a
Proton rocket. PanAmSat's 9th international satellite and its fourth serving Asia, PAS-8 will provide advanced video and telecommunications services throughout the Asia-Pacific region.
"PAS-8 will significantly increase the transmission capacity and power that PanAmSat will offer its customers throughout the Asia-Pacific region," said Robert Bednarek, PanAmSat's chief technology officer. "PAS-8 will offer the most powerful trans-Pacific C-band coverage available as well as high-power Ku-band beams serving northeast Asia, southeast Asia and Australia, all with access to the United States."
PAS-8 is a Space Systems/Loral-built FS 1300 model satellite with 24 C-band
and 24 Ku-band transponders. The third FS 1300 model satellite in PanAmSat's
fleet, PAS-8 will be launched by International Launch Systems on a Proton
rocket from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. This will be PanAmSat's
second Proton launch from Kazakhstan. The first, PanAmSat's PAS-5 Atlantic
Ocean Region satellite, was successfully launched in August 1997.
PAS-8 will be located at 166 degrees East Longitude and will neighbor
PanAmSat's PAS-2 Pacific Ocean Region satellite now positioned at 169
degrees East Longitude. With PAS-2 and PAS-8 in service, PanAmSat will offer
customers new, expanded and backup satellite capacity for video and
telecommunications applications throughout the Asia-Pacific region. In
addition to PAS-2 and PAS-8, PanAmSat's PAS-4 and PAS-7 Indian Ocean Region
satellites also provide coverage of Asia.
PanAmSat is the world's leading commercial provider of satellite-based
communications services. The company operates a global network of 17
satellites supported by PanAmSat professionals on five continents. These
resources enable PanAmSat to provide video and telecommunications services
to hundreds of customers worldwide.
PanAmSat resources and services include:
The premier cable and broadcast television satellites in the United
States, Latin America, the Indian subcontinent and the Asia-Pacific;
Satellite platforms for current and planned direct-to-home
television services in Latin
America, South Africa, the Middle East, India and the United States;
Live transmission services for news, sports and special events
coverage worldwide; and
Global satellite-based telecommunications services and Internet
access.
PanAmSat plans to launch eight additional satellites, including PAS-8, by
late 1999.
