[rocatman]

Title says most of it. Dish needs to replace the failed E-2 satellite at 148 W after the Ciel-2 satellite is launched and operational at 129 W. I thought the E-5 satellite was running out of fuel but I guess it still has enough in it to use it at 148 W. The FCC filing has nothing on the expected life of the E-5 satellite after moving it to 148 W. Here is the FCC website address:

http://licensing.fcc.gov/ibfsweb/ib.page.FetchAttachment?attachment_key=-154711

 

[phrelin]

Is this just a "place-holder" since it won't really serve AK-HI needs?

 

[rocatman]

Is this just a "place-holder" since it won't really serve AK-HI needs?

That would be my guess. Just like the E-4 satellite was a placeholder at 157 W and now at 77 W. It appears putting E-4 as a placeholder at 77 W will payoff for Dish once the E-8 satellite gets there.

 

[HDRoberts]

Since when does E5 have the gas to do anything than go to a graveyard orbit when Ciel-2 makes it up?

 

[rocatman]

That is what I thought but I remember Dish was using fuel at a rapid rate for satellite station keeping. Perhaps Dish has allowed the E-5 satellite to wobble more to conserve fuel.