The direct broadcast satellite (DBS) EchoStar 16 designed to deliver over 15 years of service and will be positioned at 61.5 degrees West. It is fully leased to Dish Network to provide Direct-to-Home (DTH) services to the United States.

"EchoStar and Space Systems/Loral share a commitment to high quality, high performance and exceptional service," Space Systems/Loral President John Celli said in a statement. "EchoStar 16 is another example of our capability to deliver satellites with the power to maximize high definition content delivery."

The 20-kilowatt EchoStar 16 is the eighth SS/L satellite for EchoStar and is based on the SS/L1300 space-proven platform designed to provide flexibility to support a wide range of applications and technology advances.