Ramona Adams
Orbital ATK has delivered the Thaicom 8 communications satellite that it built for Thaicom to Cape Canaveral, Florida, to prepare for a scheduled May launch.
The Dulles, Virginia-headquartered company said Friday Thaicom 8 is based on its GEOStar-2TM platform and is designed to support Thailand’s broadcast industry and deliver broadcast and data services to clients across South Asia, Southeast Asia and Africa.
Thaicom 8, which was commissioned following the launch of Thaicom 6 into orbit in January 2014, is a Ku-band satellite that carries 24 active transponders.
The spacecraft will be launched aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket then enter a 30-day testing phase, Orbital ATK added.
The company also noted that it will turn over operations to Thaicom after the satellite reaches its final orbital slot and achieves in-orbit activation.
Thaicom 8 — the 36th commercial GEOStar spacecraft — is expected to operate for more than 15 years, Orbital ATK said.
