US satellite launched from Baikonur today

The Russian Space forces' Proton rocket-carrier with the US communicationssatellite Echostar-8 was launched from the Baikonur launch site at 9:15a.m. August 22, 2002, the public relations department of the KhrunichevSpace Center told RBC. The satellite will be delivered to an elliptic orbit with a maximumordinate from the Earth of 35,800 kilometers and a minimum 4,300kilometers. The satellite is designed for radio and TV broadcasting and formobile communications.The satellite is expected to operate for at least 15 years. It will provideTV broadcasting to the continental part of the USA, Alaska, Hawaii andPuerto-Rico. This has been the eighth satellite for the Echostarcorporation since 1987 when it obtained the license to deal with satellitecommunications. The launch of the Echostar-8 was initially scheduled forAugust 20, but it was canceled due to strong winds on the launch site..