Astrium delivers Nimiq 4 in orbit Telesats Nimiq 4 satellite has successfully completed in-orbit tests and has been placed at the 82ºW orbital slot. The satellite was formally handed over to Telesat Canada by satellite manufacturer Astrium as part of the in-orbit delivery contract.
A Proton Breeze M rocket lifts off from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan early Saturday morning, carrying the NIMIQ 4 satellite for Canada. The launch was managed by International Launch Services of Reston, Va. The Proton vehicle is built by Khrunichev of Moscow. Telesat of Ottawa, Ont., owns the satellite, which will provide television services for Bell TV. EADS Astrium of Toulouse, France, built the satellite. This was the fourth launch of the year for ILS.
Canadian satellite separated from Russian rocket The orbital block, made up of the Briz-M booster block and the Canadian Nimiq-4 communication satellite, got separated from the Proton-M carrier rocket, which was launched off the Baikonur cosmodrome at 01.48 on Saturday.
Astrium-built Nimiq 4 Satellite Nimiq 4 was designed to provide high definition television (HDTV), specialty television and foreign language programming in North America. It will feature 32 active high-power transponders in Ku-band and 8 in Ka-band. Its multi-spot Ka-band payload will provide coverage of the most densely populated regions of Canada. Nimiq 4 is based on Astriums Eurostar E3000 satellite platform, 25 of which have been ordered so far with 12 already in orbit.
A Proton M launch vehicle with the Nimiq 4 satellite onboard has successfully launched from Pad 39 at the Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan, at 21:48 GMT, 19th September, 2008.