EchoStar XVI Ku-Band Satellite Successfully Launched from Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan

EchoStar XVI is the newest member of EchoStar's growing satellite fleet, bringing the total number of owned, leased and managed spacecraft to 22

News provided by

EchoStar Corporation

Nov 21, 2012, 11:00 ET

ENGLEWOOD, Colo., Nov. 21, 2012 /PRNewswire/-- EchoStar Corporation (NASDAQ: SATS), a leading global satellite services provider and developer of hybrid video delivery technologies, today announced that the EchoStar XVI satellite built by Space Systems/Loral (SS/L) was successfully launched and placed into geostationary transfer orbit by International Launch Services (ILS).

The ILS Proton Breeze M rocket lifted off Nov 21 at 12:31 a.m. local time (Nov 20 at 1:31 p.m. EST) from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. EchoStar XVI was successfully released into geosynchronous transfer orbit after the planned 9-hour-and-12-minute mission. The satellite is successfully performing post-launch maneuvers and will ultimately be maneuvered into orbit 22,300 miles above the earth at 61.5 degrees west longitude.

An all Ku-band satellite with continental United States (CONUS) and spot beam transponders, EchoStar XVI will be fully leased to DISH Network for the delivery of direct-to-home (DTH) broadcast services to DISH customers in the United States. EchoStar XVI utilizes SS/L's flight-proven 1300 spacecraft bus, a 20-kilowatt satellite that weighs more than 14,700 lbs. fully fueled.

"Today's launch of EchoStar XVI was a great success and we extend many thanks to our partners at Space Systems Loral, ILS and the very capable ground team in Baikonur for another job well done," said Mike Dugan, president and CEO of EchoStar. "EchoStar remains committed to growing our satellite fleet and we look forward to additional successful launch announcements in the future."

For more information about ILS visit www.ilslaunch.com

For more information about Space Systems/Loral visit www.ssloral.com.

For more information about EchoStar visit www.echostar.com.

SOURCE EchoStar Corporation