(16 August 2005 3:00 pm)

MUMBAI: Satellite operator Panamsat has
announced that its new Galaxy 14 satellite has been launched successfully.

Although designated a back-up satellite, the all C-band spacecraft is designed to deliver digital video programming, high-definition television (HDTV), Video On Demand (VOD) and IPTV service throughout the US.

The satellite, co-located with Galaxy 12 at 125 degrees west longitude, will enable the company to have two in-orbit spares for its US fleet, allowing the company to continue to provide the highest fleet redundancy and reliability in the FSS industry.

Panamsat CEO Joe Wright says, "The successful launch of Galaxy 14 expands PanAmSat's position as the leader in US programming delivery. It gives Panamsat's customers another powerful satellite capable of supporting such advanced services as HDTV, VOD and IPTV. While we are constantly identifying growth opportunities such as providing additional satellite capacity over the U.S. through the Horizons-2 agreement with JSat and last month's entry into Europe with the acquisition of Europe Star, we feel that it is of equal importance to back-up our fleet. Galaxy 14 is a dynamic, next-generation spacecraft designed to meet the needs of tomorrow."

Galaxy 14 will also be an additional satellite supporting Panamaat's "Power of Five" antenna programme. This provides qualified cable operators with simultaneous access to five Galaxy neighborhood satellites. Built and custom-designed for PanAmSat by Orbital Sciences Corporation, Galaxy 14 is a 1790-kilogram Star 2 Bus model satellite with 24, 36-MHz C-band transponders.

It is the second in a series of three C-band satellites being constructed by Orbital Sciences for Panamsat. The satellite will put out more than double the power of its predecessors, ready to play a pivotal role in the complete digital delivery of programming in the US that is mandated by the FCC.