I'm not sure about Echostar 10, but Echostar 11 was placed in service about 40 days after launch.
One site, skyrocket.de, says that Nimiq 4 has 8 Ka transponders that are spotbeamed. I'm not sure what they are used for unless it is some sort of distribution downlink.But IIRC, Nimiq 4 does not have spot beams.
what is the estimated time that this will be into the 129 sat spot
One site, skyrocket.de, says that Nimiq 4 has 8 Ka transponders that are spotbeamed. I'm not sure what they are used for unless it is some sort of distribution downlink.
Provided they aren't intended for immediate use, those could have been tested in place. Since many of the Ciel-2 spotbeams need immediate use, they need tested.
The best comparison, as mentioned, would be E10, but it seems no one can remember how long to took to test that sat.
what is the estimated time that this will be into the 129 sat spot
I was going to say, I've had more fun watching paint dry....Ancient Chinese Proverb:
" A watched satellite never moves. "
So, here is a question for you. What happens to the old sat? Do they just send it off into orbit to a galaxy far, far away?
So, here is a question for you. What happens to the old sat? Do they just send it off into orbit to a galaxy far, far away?
Ancient Chinese Proverb:
" A watched satellite never moves. "
Dish is a couple of weeks behind schedule with Ciel-2, for sure. Part of that is due to the launch delay I would think, and the rest of the delay probably relates to the complexity of the task. Barring any unknown filings with the FCC reporting trouble, which I don't think has happened, this is just a slow process. (Like pouring molasses from a bottle: you can see it happening, but you want to pound on it to make it happen faster.)
Assigning arbitrarily 2 to 4 days for transfer of current carriage from E5 to Ciel-2, we should be in pretty good shape for Feb. gain of HD early in the month if Ciel-2 reaches 129W by about 1-26-09. I'm looking for Ciel-2 movement within the next 2 days. (If not sooner.)