In October 1998, PanAmSat Corporation returned to Hughes Space and Communications Company of El Segundo, Calif. for three new satellites. Galaxy XR, one of the three ordered, will provide broadcast service to the United States.

In October 2000, The Boeing Company acquired three units within Hughes Electronics Corporation: Hughes Space and Communications Company, Hughes Electron Dynamics, and Spectrolab, Inc., in addition to Hughes Electronics' interest in HRL, the company's primary research laboratory. The four are now part of Boeing's newest subsidiary, Boeing Satellite Systems, Inc.

Stowed (left); In Orbit (right)

PanAmSat has ordered 14 Hughes 601 satellites. Galaxy XR features such innovations as dual-junction gallium arsenide solar cells, which have the ability to convert nearly 22 percent of the sun's rays into electrical power, and XIPS, a xenon ion propulsion system that is 10 times more efficient than the conventional bipropellant systems. With XIPS, a 90 percent reduction of propellant mass is possible, enabling the customer to opt for more payload, reduced launch costs, longer satellite life, or any combination of the above.

PanAmSat is the world's leading commercial provider of satellite-based communications services. The company operates a global network of 20 satellites supported by PanAmSat professionals on five continents. These resources enable PanAmSat to provide video and telecommunications services to hundreds of customers worldwide.