New Satellite Appears To Be Functioning As Expected
The first on-orbit
signals from the new DIRECTV 11 satellite have been received,
indicating that the satellite is healthy and operating normally. A
ground station in Hartebeesthoek, South Africa, reported spacecraft
acquisition at 1:44 a.m. Eastern time, as scheduled.
The newest satellite for DIRECTV Inc. was launched on a Sea
Launch Zenit-3SL rocket on March 19 from Sea Launch's equatorial
launch site in the Pacific Ocean.
"The successful launch of DIRECTV 11 marks another milestone in
the evolution of DIRECTV as the leading satellite TV service and
provider of high-definition programming," said Rômulo
Pontual, DIRECTV's chief technology officer. "Through our long
collaboration with Boeing and our commitment to deploying the most
advanced technology, we are in the best competitive position to
meet the growing demand for high-definition services and provide
the most compelling viewing experience for our more than 16.8
million customers."
DIRECTV 11 is a Boeing 702 satellite with onboard technology
that will enable DIRECTV to continue expanding its industry-leading
lineup of quality High-Definition Television (HDTV) programming to
its U.S. customers. DIRECTV 11, together with the DIRECTV 10
satellite launched last year, will provide DIRECTV with the
capacity for 150 national HDTV channels and 1,500 local
channels.
"Boeing and DIRECTV are celebrating 15 years of collaboration,
and I cannot think of a better way to mark this occasion than with
the successful delivery, launch and signal acquisition of the ninth
satellite we've built for DIRECTV," said Craig Cooning, vice
president and general manager of Boeing Space and Intelligence
Systems.
"We've come a long way since Boeing's first DIRECTV satellite,
and we remain committed to their success as we work to deliver the
next in the series of HDTV satellites."
DIRECTV 1, launched in 1993, boasted a solar wingspan of 86 feet
and an innovative graphite-antenna system featuring transmit and
receive reflectors with a contoured surface that required only one
feedhorn antenna to provide an optimal signal. Today's DIRECTV 11
has a wingspan measuring more than 157 feet and supplements its
antenna system with spot-beam technology capable of concentrating
the broadcast signal to specific markets.
DIRECTV 11 is the second of three next-generation Boeing-built
satellites that are helping to expand DIRECTV's market by providing
technology that brings the crystal-clear sharpness of
satellite-delivered HDTV into millions of households.