Hispasat’s Board of Directors has approved the construction of a new satellite, Hispasat 1D which will be built by Alcatel Space Industries, and launched by International Launch Services in the autumn of 2002.

Hispasat 1D will have 28 transponders, and takes advantage of the growing demand for more satellite transponders due to the development of Internet. It will allow a satellite return channel demanded by the new interactive services being currently develped by various channels. Though this new satellite does not feature Ka-Band capacity, the facility is well on the agenda for Hispasat 1E.

The new satellite will join the other Hispasat craft in orbit at 30 degrees West, from where it will be able to cover almost all of Europe, North Africa and the American Continent. It will have a useful life of 15 years and will have a three-ton launch mass.