Hotbird 8 launch coverage

[Analoguesat]

Hottie 8 will be launched on the evening of 4/5th August (Friday night). Coverage is being provided on 13E on 12112V on a new channel tagged as "HB8 Launch"

The channels is currently carrying a Fucino test card

Full parameters (from off another forum):

Frequency 12112 MHz
Symbol Rate 27500 KSymbols/s
Polarisation Vertical
Service Reference 1:0:1:2bd:1b58:13e:820000:0:0:0:
VPID 00c8h (200d)
APID 00c9h (201d)
PCRPID 00c8h (200d)
TPID ffffffffh (-1d)
TSID 1b58h
ONID 013eh
SID 02bdh
PMT 0400h
Video Format 528x576 (4:3), 25 fps
Namespace 820000h
__________________

[Analoguesat]

More mission details:
Payload: HOT BIRD 8
Eurostar E3000 platform
Separated mass: approx. 4,875 kg (10,748 lbs)

Launch Vehicle: Proton M/Breeze M

Weight at liftoff: 691,272 kg (1.5 million lbs), including payload

Height: 61 m (200 ft)

Launch Time: 3:48 a.m. Aug. 5 Baikonur
21:48 Aug. 4 GMT
5:48 p.m. Aug. 4 EDT

Launch Site: Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan
Launch Pad 39

End User: EUTELSAT, Paris

Satellite
Manufacturer: EADS Space, Toulouse, France

Launch Vehicle
Manufacturer: Khrunichev State Research and Production Space Center, Moscow

Launch Services
Provider: International Launch Services (ILS), McLean, Va.

Satellite Use: Multipurpose Ku-band communications satellite serving cable and satellite homes in Europe, North Africa and the Middle East, including Russia and Kazakhstan.

Satellite
Statistics: ? 64 active Ku-band transponders
? Largest satellite to date in Eutelsat fleet
? Orbital location: 13 degrees East longitude
? Anticipated service life of 15 years

Mission Profile: The Proton launch vehicle will inject the satellite into geosynchronous transfer orbit, using a five-burn Breeze M mission design. The first three stages of the Proton will use a standard ascent trajectory to place the Breeze M fourth stage, with the satellite, into a suborbital trajectory, from which the Breeze M will place itself and the spacecraft into a circular parking orbit of 173 km (107.5 miles), inclined at 51.5 degrees. Then the satellite will be propelled to its transfer orbit by additional burns of the Breeze M. Following separation from the Breeze M, the spacecraft will perform a series of liquid apogee engine burns to raise perigee, lower inclination and circularize the orbit at the geostationary altitude of 35,786 km (22,236 miles).

Target Orbit
at Separation: Apogee: 35,786 km (22,236 miles)
Perigee: 3,800 km (2,361 miles)
Inclination: 13 degrees

Spacecraft
Separation: Approximately 9 hours, 11 minutes after liftoff

ILS Mission
Statistics: ? 2nd ILS Proton mission of 2006
? 4th ILS mission overall for 2006
? 6th Proton launch of Eurostar bus
? 37th ILS mission on Proton

Live Broadcast in North America: Satellite IA-6, 93 degrees West, transponder 11, C-band, analog NTSC,
downlink 3920 MHz (vertical)
Test signals start at 5 p.m. EDT

Live Broadcast in Europe & Middle East: Sesat 1, 36 degrees East, transponder B3 Channel G, Ku-band,
digital PAL, downlink 11,097.500 MHz (horizontal), symbol rate 6.1113, fec: 3/4
Test signals start at 21:00 GMT

[Analoguesat]

Theres also a webcast if you dont have access to 13E :

http://www.videocorner.tv/index.php?langue=en

[BGonaSTICK]

Thanks for that m8. I'm becoming addicted to watching these now

[Analoguesat]

Theres an interesting blog from the launch team here:

http://www.ilslaunch.com/blog/

Did you know the Protons are erected horizontally, then the whole rocket is tilted vertical on massive arms....

[BGonaSTICK]

22:48 British Summer Time this evening. Tune in on the above channel.

It's still currently showing the Fucino testcard, but transmission should start at 22:00 BST as above.

What do you mean, "you'll be down the pub"?!?!

[Analoguesat]

13E has just dropped into a countdown to coverage starting clock Coverage starts about 22.30uk time

[Analoguesat]

Coverage now up and running, although theres a few problems with the audio cutting in and out to begin with.

[Analoguesat]

She flies

[Analoguesat]

80 seconds and shes 12km up already