Boeing's Sea Launch company announced Monday it has signed a firm contract with EchoStar Communications to launch the EchoStar XI Direct Broadcast Satellite in 2007. Sea Launch has placed two previous EchoStar satellites in orbit: EchoStar IX in August 2003 and EchoStar X in February 2006.
The contract requires Sea Launch to lift the EchoStar XI spacecraft to geosynchronous transfer orbit. Under construction by Space Systems/Loral of Palo Alto, Calif., the spacecraft is based on SS/L's 1300-series platform and will support EchoStar's DISH Network customers.
EchoStar XI is a DBS spacecraft designed to complement the existing EchoStar fleet. Its Ku-band payload will serve EchoStar's DISH Network customers. The 1300 bus is a space-proven platform that is designed to provide 20 kilowatts of power throughout the life of the satellite.
EchoStar Communications Corp., of Englewood, Colo., serves more than 12 million satellite TV customers through its DISH Network, a U.S. provider of digital television services.
Sea Launch is an international partnership offering geostationary orbit transfers from its floating launch site on the Equator, via Russian Zenit-3SL lift vehicles.
