August 3, 1995: With the successful launch of PAS 4 aboard an Ariane 4 launcher, PanAmSat became the first private satellite company to achieve global coverage. The Hughes-built HS-601 satellite weighed 3.2 tons (2920 kg) and carried 20 C-band transponders and 30 Ku-band transponders

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Visit the SSPI Satellite Industry Timeline to tour the decades of the Satellite Era

The SSPI Satellite Timeline is the first interactive site on the Web to chronicle the rich and diverse history of the commercial satellite industry. Launched in October 2007 – the 50th anniversary of Sputnik – the Timeline is a learning tool for satellite professionals, students, the news media and the innovative companies that make up the industry