Mission type Communications Launch site Kourou ELA-3 Launch mass 2,015 kg Launch date 20 December 2000 Manufacturer Lockheed Martin | Mission duration 15 years (planned) Contractor Arianespace Launch mass 2,015 kg Rocket Ariane 5 Bus Lockheed Martin A2100 | |
Operator GE Americom (2000–2001)
SES Americom (2001-2009)
SES World Skies (2009—) Website SES World Skies - AMC-8 Similar AMC‑21, AMC‑6, Anik F1, Galaxy 15 | ||
AMC-8, also known as Americom-8 and Aurora III, previously GE-8, is a C-band satellite located at 139° West, covering the United States, Canada and the Caribbean. It is owned and operated by SES World Skies, formerly SES Americom and before that GE Americom. The satellite, provides critical telecommunications services to AT&T Alascom which occupies most of the satellite's capacity. AMC-8 was launched in 2000 as GE-8, and replaced Satcom C-5 in March 2001.
AMC-8 is also used by thousands of terrestrial radio stations for network feeds using ground equipment from Starguide, X-Digital Systems, Wegener and International Datacasting. Major tenants are Cumulus Media Networks Satellite Services (which includes Citadel Media, Talk Radio Network, WOR Radio Network and others), Skyview Networks (which includes ABC News, ABC Radio, California News Network, Arizona News Network, numerous Professional and Collegian Sports networks, and others), Orbital Media Networks (which includes United Stations Radio Networks, John Tesh, and others), Premiere Radio Networks, Dial Global, Westwood One, Learfield Communications, The Free Beer and Hot Wings Show (Transponder 15), and others.
It carries 24 36 MHz G/H band (IEEE C band) transponders, with 20 watt SSPA amplifiers. Its amplifier redundancy is 16 for 12, and its receiver redundancy is four for two. It carries two beacons, one broadcasting on a horizontal frequency of 3700.5 MHz, and the other on a vertical frequency of 4199.5 MHz.