Thor 6 safely in Guiana

Telenor Satellite Broadcasting’s Thor 6 satellite has arrived at the spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana.

Thor 6 will replace the current Thor III satellite, which is set to retire in 2010, as well as provide additional capacity for expansion. The spacecraft is to be launched from the Guiana Spaceport onboard the Ariane 5 ECA launcher with its co-passenger NSS-12 from SES World Skies.

Thor 6 will provide DTH services from the 1° West orbital position. It is fitted with 36 Ku-band transponders, 16 of which will point to the Nordic countries and 20 transponders will be positioned to serve central and eastern Europe. With the launch of Thor 6, 1° West will have a total of 71 transponders.