EchoStar VI or EchoStar 6 is a former American

communications satellite A communications satellite is an artificial satellite that relays and amplifies radio telecommunication signals via a Transponder (satellite communications), transponder; it creates a communication channel between a source transmitter and a Rad ...

which was operated by

EchoStar EchoStar Corporation is an American telecommunications company, specializing in satellite communication, wireless telecommunications, and internet services. Echostar also provides multichannel video programming and mobile services through its ...

. In 2013, the satellite was rebranded BermudaSat 1 after the satellite was sold to a

Bermuda Bermuda is a British Overseas Territories, British Overseas Territory in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean. The closest land outside the territory is in the American state of North Carolina, about to the west-northwest. Bermuda is an ...

n subsidiary of SES, a satellite operator based in

Luxembourg Luxembourg, officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, is a landlocked country in Western Europe. It is bordered by Belgium to the west and north, Germany to the east, and France on the south. Its capital and most populous city, Luxembour ...

.Bermuda Secures Caribbean Slot with EchoStar 6 Satellite
/ref> It was constructed by Space Systems Loral and is based on the

LS-1300 The SSL 1300, previously the LS-1300 and the FS-1300, is a satellite bus produced by Maxar Technologies. Total broadcast power ranges from 5 to 25 kW, and the platform can accommodate from 12 to 150 transponders. The SSL 1300 is a modular platf ...

satellite bus A satellite bus (or spacecraft bus) is the main body and structural component of a satellite or spacecraft, in which the payload and all scientific instruments are held. Bus-derived satellites are less customized than specially-produced satelli ...

. Its launch was contracted by

International Launch Services International Launch Services, Inc. (ILS) is a joint venture with exclusive rights to the worldwide sale of commercial Angara and Proton rocket launch services. Proton launches take place at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan while Angara is l ...

, using an

Atlas IIAS Atlas II was a member of the Atlas family of launch vehicles, which evolved from the successful Atlas missile program of the 1950s. The Atlas II was a direct evolution of the Atlas I, featuring longer first-stage tanks, higher-perform ...

carrier rocket. The launch occurred at 05:21 GMT on 14 July 2000 from Space Launch Complex 36B at the

Cape Canaveral Air Force Station Cape Canaveral Space Force Station (CCSFS) is an installation of the United States Space Force's Space Launch Delta 45, located on Cape Canaveral in Brevard County, Florida. Headquartered at the nearby Patrick Space Force Base, the sta ...

. It was originally built as Sky 1B or MCI-2 for

MCI Communications MCI Communications Corporation (originally Microwave Communications, Inc.) was an American telecommunications company headquartered in Washington, D.C. that was at one point the second-largest long-distance provider in the United States. ...

. This was later cancelled and the satellite was rebuilt as Echostar VI. Following its launch and on-orbit testing, it was placed in

geostationary orbit A geostationary orbit, also referred to as a geosynchronous equatorial orbit''Geostationary orbit'' and ''Geosynchronous (equatorial) orbit'' are used somewhat interchangeably in sources. (GEO), is a circular orbit, circular geosynchronous or ...

at 73° West, from where it provides broadcast and communications services to Europe using wide-band feeds. It carries thirty two transponders, and has an expected on-orbit lifespan of 12 years. In March and August 2010, the satellite experienced solar-array anomalies resulting in the loss of 24 (of an initial 108) solar cell strings. Although the anomalies did not reduce the estimated useful life, the power reduction limits it to operating 24 DBS transponders (of the initial 32) at approximately 125 watts per channel, or 12 DBS transponders (of an original 16) at approximately 250 watts per channel. In April 2013, the satellite was moved to 96.2° West, leased to SES on behalf of the Bermudan government and renamed BermudaSat 1.Minister On Bermuda’s Satellite Network
/ref> As BermudaSat 1, the satellite, which was slated for retirement in 2014, was designed chiefly to serve video and maritime communications in Latin America and the Caribbean, as well as to enable to secure the 96.2° West position for Bermuda.

References

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Echostar 06 Communications satellites in geostationary orbit Spacecraft launched in 2000 Telecommunications in Bermuda Satellites using the SSL 1300 bus E06 SES (company)