HUGHES SPACE AND COMMUNICATIONS COMPANY Public Relations Department P.O. Box 92919 (S10/S323) Los Angeles, CA 90009 Media Relations (310) 364-6363 Investor Relations (310) 662-9688 www.hughespace.com

Liftoff occurred at 8:16 p.m. in Kourou (4:16 p.m. PDT, 23:16 GMT) and the satellite's first signals were received 40 minutes later at the Daan Mogot satellite tracking station in Indonesia, confirming normal operations.

Brasilsat B4 is the fourth satellite in a series of wide-body spinning spacecraft built by HSC for EMBRATEL, Latin America's largest satellite operator. The spacecraft measures approximately 12 feet (3.6 meters) in diameter and 27 feet (8.4 meters) tall when fully deployed. The two cylindrical solar panels provide 1800 watts of power.

From an orbital position of 92 degrees West longitude, Brasilsat B4 will provide voice and data services to Brazil and South America. The payload consists of 28 C-band transponders.

EMBRATEL contracted with HSC in August 1990 for two Brasilsat B spacecraft. In December 1995, with those new satellites in orbit and rapidly filling with customers, EMBRATEL exercised an option for a third spacecraft. B4 was ordered in June 1998. The previous Brasilsat B satellites also rode on Ariane rockets -- B1 on Aug. 10, 1994, B2 on March 28, 1995, and B3 on Feb. 4, 1998.

Brasilsat B4 is the seventh satellite to be launched this year for HSC, the world's leading manufacturer of commercial communications satellites, which built nearly 40 percent of those in operation. It also is a major supplier of spacecraft and equipment to the U.S. government, and a builder of weather satellites for the United States and Japan.