Sirius FM 6 Satellite. Photo: ILS

[Via Satellite 10-29-13] Space Systems/Loral (SSL) announced that the Sirius FM 6 satellite, designed and built for Sirius XM Radio, is performing post-launch maneuvers according to plan. The satellite deployed its solar arrays late Friday evening, following a successful launch from the Baikonur Space Center in Kazakhstan aboard a Proton Breeze M launch vehicle, provided by International Launch Services (ILS). On Monday, the spacecraft began the first of several thruster firings to maneuver into geosynchronous orbit.

Sirius FM 6 is a high-power, 20-kilowatt satellite that has an X-band uplink and an S-band downlink payload. It has a nine-meter unfurlable reflector, built by Harris Corporation, which allows for broadcast to cars and satellite radios for home, office and mobile devices.

Sirius FM 6 is the third high power geostationary (GEO) satellite built by SSL for SiriusXM. The spacecraft will be used to provide SiriusXM’s audio entertainment and data services to customers in North America. It is SSL’s 10th 20-kilowatt satellite and 74th satellite currently on orbit.