Bungled satellite launch delays Dish Network HD expansion

A launch malfunction has put Dish Network’s HD expansion in doubt. It may be pretty tough to recover from this setback if a quick fix or replacement can’t be done

Dish Network had hoped to use the satellite to expand its HDTV channel count from 75 to more than 100 networks. Rival DirecTV offers subscribers 92 national HDTV channels, and both Dish Network and DirecTV rely on HDTV programming in marketing pitches.

SES Americom said Monday morning that the satellite “anomaly” occurred during the second burn of the fourth stage of the Lockheed Martin rocket launch. SES and Lockheed engineers are working on “various options” for bringing the bird into its proper geostationary orbit, SES said. While the satellite had an expected service life of 15 years, EchoStar warned in a Securities and Exchange Commission filing Monday morning that the fuel needed to move the bird into its correct orbit will shorten its life.

“If those efforts [to correct the orbit] are successful, station keeping fuel would be required to correct the orbit, so the service life of the satellite would be substantially reduced,” EchoStar said.

“The launch anomaly will result in a delay in our roll out of some high definition channels, including some local network channels,” the company added. (Contentinople)

If they take advantage, Cable and Directv could gain an insurmountable lead over Dish as a result. If they do not take advantage, this will further accelerate the inevitability of TVoIP displacing the entire industry.