Hispasat-1E will be launched by an Ariane 5 at the end of 2010 from the Guiana Space Center, Europe’s Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana. The satellite will be built by Space Systems/Loral using their LS 1300 platform. Weighing about 5,270 kg at launch, the satellite will be fitted with 53 active Ku-band transponders, giving Hispasat additional capacity, enabling it to offer a broader range of video and data transmission services with a European and pan-American coverage. Positioned in geostationary orbit at 30 degrees West, Hispasat-1E has a design life of 15 years. Hispasat-1E will be the sixth Spanish satellite launched by Arianespace. The European launcher had already orbited Hispasat-1A and -1B In 1992 and 1993. More recently, in 2005 and 2006, the Hispasat group called on Arianespace to launch their XTAR-Eur and Spainsat satellites from HISDESAT. This year Arianespace will launch another of the company’s satellites, Amazonas-2.
