Galaxy XR to Increase PanAmSat's Communications Capabilities

Customer	PanAmSat Corporation, United States
Spacecraft	Hughes 601HP
Launch    Date    Vehicle    Site	January 24, 2000 Ariane Kourou, French Guiana
Orbital Slot	123 degrees W Longitude
Contract life	15 years

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.

Galaxy XR, a Hughes 601HP or "high power" spacecraft, will deliver analog as well as digital cable TV channels and will serve as a major pipeline for satellite-based telecommunications networks in the United States. The satellite was built on an expedited basis, meaning that it launched 14 months after being ordered. Hughes, recognizing the importance of being prepared to quickly launch replacement satellites for its customers, had ordered many of the long-lead items. This, coupled with the increased production capacity in the Integration and Test Complex, the world's largest, made it possible for Hughes to provide Galaxy XR to PanAmSat in such a short time period.

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.