(4 October 2006 2:30 pm)

MUMBAI: The Hot Bird 8 broadcast satellite of Eutelsat Communications has gone into commercial service at 13 degrees East. The satellite has 64 Ku-band transponders which span the entire range of frequencies used at Eutelsat's Hot Bird 8 neighbourhood for broadcasting more than 950 television channels and 550 radio stations to over 113 million homes.

The size and configuration of Hot Bird 8 enables Eutelsat to increase in-orbit redundancy at its premium video neighbourhood and releases Hot Bird 3 for its new mission at 10 degrees East, informs an official release.

Built by EADS Astrium and launched on 5 August from the Baikonour Cosmodrome, Hot Bird 8's scheduled in-orbit life is expected to exceed 15 years. Following launch and manoeuvres to bring the satellite into geostationary orbit, HOT BIRD(TM) 8 completed an exhaustive round of in-orbit tests at 1.7 degrees East.

Now released from its mission at 13 degrees East, Hot Bird 3 will begin transfer operations for its relocation to its new position at 10 degrees East where it is scheduled to begin service later in October under the name of Eurobird 10, the release adds.