EchoStar has selected Lockheed Martin to provide commercial launch services for the EchoStar XIX communications satellite.
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Planed for launch in late 2016, the satellite will be lifted-off from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida aboard a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket.
Lockheed’s subsidiary, Lockheed Martin Commercial Launch Services (LMCLS) will manage the work under the contract.
LMCLS president Steve Skladanek said: "The Atlas programme brings unmatched performance, reliability, and schedule assurance for EchoStar and Hughes."
Also called JUPITER 2, the EchoStar XIX is a multi-spot beam Ka-band satellite built by SSL in Palo Alto, California. It will offer 50%more capacity, compared to EchoStar XVII.
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By GlobalDataDesigned to meet the increasing demand for HughesNet Gen4 high-speed internet service, the satellite will have operational life of 15 years or longer.
The EchoStar XIX is built based on the SSL 1300 space-proven platform. Hughes Network Systems selected SSL to build the satellite in March 2013.
United Launch Alliance president and CEO Tory Bruno said: "Atlas continues to be a cost-effective, proven choice for commercial and government customers to deliver vital satellites to orbit."
LMCLS markets the Atlas V to commercial satellite customers as well as provides Athena launch services for small satellites and multi-payload RideShare missions.
Atlas V has so far completed 55 launches since its inception in 2002. The rocket is planned to launch Nasa’s InSight lander to Mars and OSIRIS-REx asteroid sample return mission in 2016.
