Palo Alto, California/Hong Kong – Space Systems/Loral (SSL), a provider of commercial satellites, and Asia Satellite Telecommunications Co. Ltd. (AsiaSat), announced on June 12 that AsiaSat 8 has arrived at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, where it will be launched aboard a Falcon 9 launch vehicle by SpaceX. The satellite is currently being prepared for a July launch which will mark the first Falcon 9 launch for both AsiaSat and SSL.

“I would like to thank AsiaSat for its long term trust and confidence in SSL,” said John Celli, President of SSL. “We are pleased that AsiaSat 8 has arrived safely at the launch base and now, after many years of working together, both AsiaSat and SSL eagerly anticipate our first SpaceX launch.”

AsiaSat 8, with Ku and Ka-band payloads, is designed to provide direct-to-home (DTH) television service, data broadcasting, and telecommunications services in Asia and the Middle East. When launched, AsiaSat 8 will be co-located with AsiaSat 7. The additional capacity from AsiaSat 8 will help meet growing market demand and ensure the delivery of exceptionally high power and quality service to its customers.

“SSL is an important contributor to our fleet expansion,” said William Wade, President and Chief Executive Officer of AsiaSat. “We are pleased that AsiaSat 8 has arrived in Cape Canaveral safely and look forward to the launch to bring new and quality capacity to multiple markets in Asia and the Middle East.”