BAIKONUR COSMODROME, Kazakhstan – Telesat said today it has successfully launched its new Nimiq 4 satellite.
Fully leased to Bell TV, it will let the company expand its satellite television services over Canada by offering more HDTV, specialty channels and foreign-language programming.
"Telesat’s Nimiq 4 satellite underscores our commitment to bring the most advanced satellite services to consumers across Canada – and all over North America," said Dan Goldberg, president and CEO of Telesat, in the press release. "Nimiq 4 will contribute significant revenue and EBITDA to our financial results and build on our longstanding relationship with Bell TV."
Nimiq 4 was launched on a Proton Breeze M rocket from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in the Republic of Kazakhstan today at 3:48 a.m. local time (Friday night in Ottawa). The satellite separated from the upper stage of the rocket and its signal was acquired by Telesat’s tracking station in Perth, Australia just over nine hours later.
Nimiq 4 was manufactured by EADS Astrium and International Launch Services (ILS) provided mission management of the launch.
Nimiq 4 will enter into commercial service after it has successfully completed orbit raising and comprehensive in-orbit testing. The satellite, which will be located at 82 degrees West, is equipped with 32 active high-power transponders in Ku-band and eight in Ka-band. The spacecraft has a solar array span of 39 meters, an expected 15-year mission life, and a launch mass of approximately 4850 kg.
