Space Systems/Loral reports that the Nimiq 6 satellite, designed and built for Telesat, one of the world's leading satellite operators, is successfully performing post-launch maneuvers according to plan.

The satellite was successfully launched yesterday from the Baikonur Space Center in Kazakhstan aboard a Proton Breeze M launch vehicle provided by International Launch Services (ILS). The satellite deployed its solar arrays early this morning according to schedule, and tomorrow it will begin firing its main thruster to maneuver into geostationary orbit.

"It has been a privilege to work with Telesat on this high performance satellite that will provide advanced television services in Canada," said John Celli, President of Space Systems/Loral. "I'd like to congratulate the teams from ILS, Telesat, and SS/L who worked hard to make this launch a success."

Nimiq 6 is a state-of-the-art spacecraft that is fully contracted to Telesat's customer, Bell TV. It will provide a broad range of Direct-to-Home (DTH) services to Bell TV's subscriber base including high-definition and other specialty video offerings across Canada. It has 32 Ku-band transponders and will be positioned at 91.1 degrees West longitude.

"We are very pleased with Space Systems/Loral's strong execution on the Nimiq 6 satellite," said Dan Goldberg, President and Chief Executive Officer of Telesat. "Once in service, Nimiq 6 will provide Bell TV with improved performance to better serve its customer base across Canada."

Nimiq 6 is based on the highly reliable Space Systems/Loral 1300 platform which provides the flexibility to support a broad range of applications and technology advances. The spacecraft is designed to deliver service for 15 years or more. With this launch, there are 68 SS/L-built satellites currently on orbit.

Another satellite for Telesat, Anik G1, is under construction at SS/L's Palo Alto, California manufacturing facility. It is scheduled to launch in the fourth quarter of this year.