The fourth in a series of
four built by Boeing , the AsiaSat 4 satellite for Asia Satellite
Telecommunications Company Limited of Hong Kong was successfully launched
today from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla.
The high-power Boeing Satellite Systems 601HP spacecraft was launched by
International Launch Services onboard an Atlas IIIB vehicle at 8:47 p.m. EDT
(8:47 a.m. on April 12 in Hong Kong). The spacecraft separated from the launch
vehicle approximately 30 minutes after launch. AsiaSat 4’s first signals were
received about 48 minutes after the launch at the Fort Stanley Telemetry,
Tracking and Control Station in Hong Kong, confirming normal operation.
“We are extremely proud to have built and helped launch AsiaSat 4 for Asia
Satellite Telecommunications,” said Dave Ryan, president of Boeing Satellite
Systems International, a wholly-owned subsidiary of The Boeing Company. “This
satellite will enable them to provide higher power coverage with excellent
elevation angles across the expanded areas of Australasia and the Greater
China region.”
AsiaSat 4, designed by Boeing Satellite Systems to provide a minimum of 15
years of service, will be located at 122 degrees East and will provide
television distribution and telecommunications service throughout Asia, the
Middle East, Australasia, and the Commonwealth of Independent States.
A unit of The Boeing Company, Integrated Defense Systems is one of the
world’s largest space and defense businesses. Headquartered in St. Louis,
Boeing Integrated Defense Systems is a $25 billion business. It provides
systems solutions to its global military, government and commercial customers.
It is a leading provider of intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance; the
world’s largest military aircraft manufacturer; the world’s largest satellite
manufacturer and a leading provider of space-based communications; the primary
systems integrator for U.S. missile defense; NASA’s largest contractor; and a
global leader in launch services.
