FCC Approves PanAmSat License Modification

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) granted PanAmSat Corp. conditional authority to operate the C-band communications payload and the Ku-band telemetry, tracking and command stations aboard its PAS-9 satellite from the 26.15 East longitude orbital location. PanAmSat sought the modification after a failure in 1997 of a cell in the bird’s battery system that rendered the satellite incapable of providing the full range of services required at its assigned orbital location at 58 degrees West longitude. The FCC previously granted authority to PanAmSat to move the satellite to its ultimate resting place at 25.15 degrees East longitude and, with the authority to operate at that location, it will provide backup and supplemental capacity for the Arab Satellite Communications Organization‘s Arabsat 2A satellite. The order notes that Arabsat has leased all the C-band capacity on PAS-9.