In October 1995 Hughes Space and Communications Company announced a new communications satellite bus, the HS 702, evolved from the HS 601 and HS 601HP (high-power). The HS 702 could carry up to 118 high-power transponders, of which 94 were active and 24 were spares, and deliver any communications frequencies that customers requested. The company was later acquired by Boeing, which redesignated the bus BSS 702.

After the payload was tailored to customer specifications, the payload module mounted to the common bus module at only four locations and with only six electrical connectors. This design simplicity conferred major advantages. First, non-recurring program costs were reduced, because the bus did not need to be changed for every payload, and payloads could be freely tailored without affecting the bus. Second, the design permitted significantly faster parallel bus and payload processing. This led to the third advantage: a short production schedule.

Further efficiency derived from the HS 702's xenon ion propulsion system (XIPS), which Hughes pioneered. XIPS was 10 times more efficient than the conventional liquid fuel systems. Four 25-cm thrusters provided economical station-keeping, needing only 5 kg of fuel per year. Using XIPS for final orbit insertion conserved even more mass. Customers could apply the weight savings to substantially increase the revenue-generating payload at small marginal cost, to prolong service life, or to change to a less expensive launch vehicle (where cost was based on satellite weight).

The HS 702 also incorporated a bipropellant propulsion system, which could lift the satellite into final orbit after separation from the launch vehicle. The bipropellant system had a fuel capacity of 1750 kg. Multiple major payloads or missions could fly on the same spacecraft. Also, customers could share the 1200-kg payload capacity with other customers, reducing launch and ground station operating costs for each participant.

The spacecraft was adaptable to medium earth and geostationary orbits. Innovative modularity extended to the HS 702 power system as well. A catalogue of standard configurations offered six different solar array arrangements, with up to five panels of solar cells per wing. As a new feature on the HS 702, angled solar reflector panels along both sides of the wings formed a shallow trough and concentrated the sun's rays on the solar cells. At the end of life, the arrays generate up to 15 kW, depending on customer payload selections. The Hughes-proprietary dual-junction gallium arsenide solar cells supplied twice the power of silicon cells at end of life. The cells were developed by Spectrolab, a Hughes Electronics Corporation subsidiary. The integrated power controller, which controlled and distributed electrical power from the solar arrays to the spacecraft, was also modular so it could be matched to the required power level. Finally, for sustained power during eclipses, the nickel-hydrogen battery comprised two kinds of cells at two power ranges, available in multiple configurations of up to 60 cells distributed in four packs.

Separating the bus and payload thermal environments and substantially enlarging the heat radiators achieved a cooler, more stable thermal environment for both bus and payload. This increased unit reliability over service life. The deployable radiators used flexible heat pipes, which increased the packageable radiator area. Further thermal control occurred through passive primary rejection via heat pipes. The HS 702 could accommodate east-west mounted antennas up to 9 feet, 4 inches in diameter, as well as a generous earth-facing array. Viewed from above, the HS 702 was rectangular. This shape left more room in a circular fairing for stowing antennas than a square spacecraft would. The additional space on the east and west sides could be used for large-aperture (and hence high-gain) antennas in various configurations. This space also enabled the antennas to retain simple, reliable, single-axis deployments.

The baseline HS 702 was compatible with all available launch vehicles. These included the Atlas II family, Delta III, Ariane 4 and 5, Long March 3B, Proton, Sea Launch, and H-II. Some customer choices affect launch vehicle options. For example, selecting a maximum-power HS 702 configuration could increase spacecraft mass and height (the extra heat dissipation equipment needed makes the satellite slightly taller), dictating use of a larger launch vehicle.

Deployed length 40.9 m maximum Payload mass up to 1200 kg. Launch mass up to 5200 kg. Stowed width, including solar panels 2.0 x 3.2 m. Stowed height (bus and payload, excluding nadir antennas) 3.6 m.

The first customer for the HS 702 was Hughes Communications, Inc., which merged with PanAmSat Corporation in May 1997 to create the world's largest privately owned communications satellite company. The HS 702 was chosen for the Galaxy and PAS fleet, to expand video distribution, telephony, and data services in North and Latin America. As of March 1999, Hughes had received orders for nine of these spacecraft: three from PanAmSat Corporation, two from XM Satellite Radio, Inc., one from Telesat Canada, and three for Spaceway..

Major problems in orbit with the solar-concentrator power generation option led to abandonment of this feature in later versions of the bus.

Typical orbit: 278 x 38900 km, 5.4 deg inclinaton. Mass: 5,200 kg (11,400 lb). Associated Launch Vehicle: Ariane 5G, Zenit-3SL.

• 1995 October 1 - Hughes announced HS 702 satellite series -

  Hughes Space and Communications Company announced a new satellite series, the HS 702, evolved from the HS 601 and HS 601HP (high-power).

• 1999 December 22 - Galaxy 11 - Program: Galaxy. Launch Site: Kourou. Launch Vehicle: Ariane. Mass: 4,484 kg (9,885 lb). Perigee: 35,786 km (22,236 mi). Apogee: 35,787 km (22,236 mi). Inclination: 0.00 deg. Period: 1,436.10 min.

  Communications satellite. Third Ariane launch within three weeks. First Hughes HS 702 bus satellite, for PanAmSat Corporation to expand video and telecommunications services to North America and Brazil. The 20-watt C-band transponders will be used primarily for cable television customers. The Ku-band payload offers two power levels: 140 watts for video distribution, and 75 watts for data networks and other general communications services. This gives Galaxy 11 a total payload of 64 active transponders. Positioned in geosynchronous orbit at 99 deg W in 2000. As of 4 September 2001 located at 91.01 deg W drifting at 0.010 deg W per day. As of 2007 Mar 11 located at 91.01W drifting at 0.008W degrees per day.

• 2000 October 21 - Thuraya 1 - Program: Thuraya. Launch Site: Kiritimati. Launch Vehicle: Zenit. Mass: 5,108 kg (11,261 lb). Perigee: 35,764 km (22,222 mi). Apogee: 35,808 km (22,250 mi). Inclination: 5.20 deg. Period: 1,436.10 min.

  Mobile Communications satellite. Launch delayed from September 18 and October 19. Stationed at 44 deg E. The first Boeing GEM satellite, Thuraya 1, was built by Boeing/El Segundo (formerly Hughes). It was based on the HS-702 design but featured a large 12-m diameter truss antenna for L-band mobile telephone service. Launch mass of Thuraya was 5108 kg; dry mass probably around 3000 kg. The satellite was to be delivered after on orbit testing to Etisalat, the Emirates Telecom Corp of Abu Dhabi, and its Thuraya Satellite subsidiary. Thuraya was launched from the Odyssey platform in the Pacific Ocean positioned on the equator at 154 deg W. The two-stage Yuzhnoe Zenit core delivered Thuraya and its Energiya Blok DM-SL upper stage to a -2212 x 182 km suborbital trajectory. The first DM-SL burn placed the stack in a 180 x 200 km x 6.3 deg parking orbit at 0604 GMT; a second burn at 0733 GMTput Thuraya in a 210 x 35891 km x 6.3 deg geostationary transfer orbit. A later depletion burn lowered the DM-SL stage perigee to 180 km, as burns by Thuraya's liquid engine raised it towards geosynchronous orbit. Positioned in geosynchronous orbit at 44 deg E in 2000. As of 5 September 2001 located at 44.22 deg E drifting at 0.003 deg E per day. As of 2007 Mar 11 located at 98.57E drifting at 0.007W degrees per day.

• 2000 November 16 - PAS 1R - Launch Site: Kourou. Launch Vehicle: Ariane 5. Mass: 4,758 kg (10,489 lb). Perigee: 35,781 km (22,233 mi). Apogee: 35,793 km (22,240 mi). Inclination: 0.00 deg. Period: 1,436.10 min.

  First use of the ASAP-5 piggyback payload adapter. Communications satellite, stationed at 58 deg W. PAS 1R was a large Boeing Model 702 satellite with a dry mass of about 3000 kg (launch mass 4793 kg) and a solar panel span of 45m. It carried 36 C and 48 Ku-band transponders. PAS 1R was operated by Panamsat, whose fleet included the former Hughes Galaxy system. The PAS 1R, STRV 1c/1d, and AMSAT Phase 3D satellites were placed in orbit on a single Ariane launch. The EPS stage entered geostationary transfer orbit at 0134 GMT, followed by separation of the PAS 1R main payload. As of 4 September 2001 located at 45.03 deg W drifting at 0.016 deg W per day. As of 2007 Mar 1 located at 45.05W drifting at 0.023W degrees per day.

• 2000 November 21 - Anik F1 - Launch Site: Kourou. Launch Vehicle: Ariane. Mass: 4,711 kg (10,385 lb). Perigee: 35,786 km (22,236 mi). Apogee: 35,787 km (22,236 mi). Inclination: 0.10 deg. Period: 1,436.10 min.

  Heaviest Ariane 4 payload ever. Anik F1 was a Telesat Canada communications satellite. The Boeing model 702 satellite had a launch mass of 4852 kg and a dry mass of 2950 kg. It carried 36 C-band and 48 Ku-band transponders. As of 3 September 2001 located at 107.30 deg W drifting at 0.006 deg W per day. As of 2007 Mar 11 located at 107.29W drifting at 0.000W degrees per day.

• 2001 March 18 - XM-2 Rock - Launch Site: Kiritimati. Launch Vehicle: Zenit. Mass: 4,666 kg (10,286 lb). Perigee: 35,785 km (22,235 mi). Apogee: 35,788 km (22,237 mi). Inclination: 0.00 deg. Period: 1,436.10 min.

  The XM Radio satellites (using Boeing 702 buses) provided digital radio entertainment broadcast to the US. The XM-2 Rock satellite was accompanied by the XM-1 Roll spacecraft launched later in 2001. A Boeing Sea Launch Zenit-3SL took off from the Odyssey floating launch platform at 154W 0 N in the Pacific. The two-stage Zenit put the Blok DM in a suborbital trajectory with a 190 km apogee; the DM first burn went to a 180 x 990 km x 1.3 deg orbit, with the second burn delivering Rock to geostationary transfer orbit. The 4.7 tonne (with fuel), 18 kW satellite carried two transmitters (3 kW each) in the S-band to relay 100 channels of digital quality music uplinked in the X-band from one or more ground stations. It was parked over 114.9 deg-W longitude. The investors include several auto manufacturers who were to be equipping the special receivers in their models. As of 4 September 2001 located at 114.98 deg W drifting at 0.001 deg W per day. As of 2007 Mar 10 located at 115.14W drifting at 0.003W degrees per day.

• 2001 May 8 - XM-1 Roll - Launch Site: Kiritimati. Launch Vehicle: Zenit. Mass: 37,032 kg (81,641 lb). Perigee: 35,784 km (22,235 mi). Apogee: 35,790 km (22,230 mi). Inclination: 0.00 deg. Period: 1,436.10 min.

  Direct Radio Broadcasting satellite. Second launch attempt following pad abort on January 8. Launch delayed from May 7. XM-1 "Roll" was launched from Sea Launch's Odyssey Launch Platform in the Pacific, on the equator at 154.0 W. Roll joined Rock, launched on March 18, to complete the XM Satellite Radio space segment. The XM-1 satellite was a Boeing Satellite Systems (El Segundo) BSS 702 with a launch mass of 4667 kg and a dry mass of about 2500 kg. It carried an R-4D liquid apogee engine and a XIPS ion station-keeping engine. The satellite's Alcatel communications payload featured an X-band receive antenna which passed digital radio broadcasts on to the two 5-meter S-band transmit antennas. It was to provide one hundred channels of digital music and entertainment to motorists in North America after parking over 85 deg-W. The XM satellites, like the three rival Sirius Radio satellites in inclined elliptical synchronous orbits, were to provide radio broadcasting to North America. The first two stages of the Zenit launch vehicle placed the Block DM-SL upper stage and payload in a 191 km apogee suborbital trajectory at 2219 GMT; the Block-DM-SL then ignited for its first burn, entering a 180 x 990 km x 1.3 deg parking orbit at 2223 GMT. The second burn at 2258 GMT accelerated the stack to a 935 x 35797 km x 1.3 deg geostationary transfer orbit. The XM-1 Roll satellite separated at 2315 GMT. As of 5 September 2001 located at 85.12 deg W drifting at 0.009 deg W per day. As of 2007 Mar 10 located at 115.09W drifting at 0.002W degrees per day.

• 2002 June 15 - Galaxy 3C - Program: Galaxy. Launch Site: Kiritimati. Launch Vehicle: Zenit. Mass: 4,850 kg (10,690 lb). Perigee: 35,786 km (22,236 mi). Apogee: 35,788 km (22,237 mi). Inclination: 0.10 deg. Period: 1,436.10 min.

  Launch delayed from July 2001 and May 28, June 2 and 9, 2002. The Galaxy 3C satellite was launched from the Odyssey floating launch platform at its standard 154W 0N location. The Zenit second stage and the DM third stage with payload entered a -2160 x 195 km suborbital trajectory at 2248:10. At about 2252 UTC the DM stage entered a 180 x 393 km x 0 deg parking orbit. A second burn of the DM at 2324 to 2330 UTC put Galaxy 3C in a 358 x 41440 km x 0.02 deg transfer orbit This was a record low inclination for a geostationary transfer orbit. The satellite's R-4D apogee engine was to put the Boeing BSS-702 satellite in geostationary orbit. The satellite was the first 702 model to use extra solar panels instead of the solar concentrators which ran into fogging problems on the earlier 702 flights. As of 2007 Mar 10 located at 95.06W drifting at 0.007W degrees per day.

• 2003 June 10 - Thuraya 2 - Program: Thuraya. Launch Site: Kiritimati. Launch Vehicle: Zenit. Mass: 5,177 kg (11,413 lb). Perigee: 35,766 km (22,223 mi). Apogee: 35,806 km (22,248 mi). Inclination: 5.00 deg. Period: 1,436.10 min.

  The Boeing 'GEM' spacecraft was a modified BSS-702 with a 12 m wide antenna for L-band mobile communications. Launch delayed from January 20, then April 4. As of 2007 Mar 9 located at 43.94E drifting at 0.004E degrees per day.

• 2004 July 18 - Anik F2 - Launch Site: Kourou. Launch Vehicle: Ariane 5. Mass: 5,950 kg (13,110 lb). Perigee: 33,253 km (20,662 mi). Apogee: 38,333 km (23,818 mi). Inclination: 0.20 deg. Period: 1,436.40 min.

  Delayed from May, July 9, 13, 16 and 17. Heaviest single payload to GTO to that date. As of 2007 Mar 11 located at 111.09W drifting at 0.004W degrees per day.

• 2005 March 1 - XM-3 - Launch Site: Kiritimati. Launch Vehicle: Zenit. Mass: 4,703 kg (10,368 lb). Perigee: 35,785 km (22,235 mi). Apogee: 35,789 km (22,238 mi). Inclination: 0.00 deg. Period: 1,436.10 min.

  Delayed from February 17, 18 and 23, 2005 due to of heavy seas. The satellite would supplement the American XM network's satellite direct-broadcast digital radio service. As of 2007 Mar 9 located at 85.14W drifting at 0.010W degrees per day.

• 2005 April 26 - Spaceway 1 - Program: DirecTV. Launch Site: Kiritimati. Launch Vehicle: Zenit. Mass: 6,080 kg (13,400 lb). Perigee: 35,785 km (22,235 mi). Apogee: 35,789 km (22,238 mi). Inclination: 0.00 deg. Period: 1,436.10 min.

  Heaviest single payload to geosynchronous transfer orbit to that date. Carried 48 high-frequency Ka-band transponders for data transmission and television broadcasting. As of 2007 Mar 10 located at 102.80W drifting at 0.005W degrees per day.

• 2005 November 16 - Spaceway 2 - Program: DirecTV. Launch Site: Kourou. Launch Vehicle: Ariane 5. Mass: 6,116 kg (13,483 lb). Perigee: 29,361 km (18,244 mi). Apogee: 42,121 km (26,172 mi). Inclination: 0.20 deg. Period: 1,433.80 min.

  Heaviest total commercial GTO payload to that date. Qualification flight for the Ariane 5 EC-A version. Launch delayed from June 25 due to launch vehicle problems. Spaceway 2 launch delayed from April for problems with the satellite. As of 2007 Mar 10 located at 99.24W drifting at 0.010W degrees per day.

• 2006 October 30 - XM-Blues - Launch Site: Kiritimati. Launch Vehicle: Zenit. Mass: 6,100 kg (13,400 lb). Perigee: 35,785 km (22,235 mi). Apogee: 35,787 km (22,236 mi). Inclination: 0.00 deg. Period: 1,436.09 min.

  Adds to XM Satellite Radio's constellation of direct-broadcast radio to North America (XM Rock, Roll, and Rhythm launched earlier). As of 2007 Mar 10 located at 115.02W drifting at 0.006W degrees per day.

• 2007 January 30 - NSS 8 - Program: Intelsat. Launch Site: Kiritimati. Launch Vehicle: Zenit. FAILURE: First stage exploded just after ignition, damaging launch platform. Mass: 6,100 kg (13,400 lb).

  The platform was designed to survive such an explosion, but the flame deflector was blown off and the blast doors unhinged. The launch platform was towed back to Long Beach for repairs. The time required to repair the platform and the investigation to determine and fix the cause would certainly impact the 2007 Zenit-3SL and Zenit-2 launch schedules, probably forcing customers to be diverted to other boosters. NSS-8 was to have been placed at a 57º East orbital position to satisfy demand in the Indian Ocean region with 56 C-band and 36 Ku-band transponders. NSS-703, with an expected end-of-life in 2009, would have to continue in service until a replacement was built and launched.

• 2007 July 7 - DirecTV-10 - Program: DirecTV. Launch Site: Baikonur. Launch Vehicle: Proton. Mass: 5,893 kg (12,991 lb). Perigee: 4,921 km (3,057 mi). Apogee: 36,526 km (22,696 mi). Inclination: 21.30 deg. Period: 740.00 min.

  First launch of a pair of satellites, DirecTV 10 and 11, that will beam HDTV programs to 500 local markets from the company's primary orbital slot at 101 degrees west longitude. Acquisition and launch cost of $300 million per satellite; one ground spare also built.

• 2007 August 14 - Spaceway 3 - Launch Site: Kourou. Launch Vehicle: Ariane 5. Mass: 6,075 kg (13,393 lb). Perigee: 26,629 km (16,546 mi). Apogee: 44,893 km (27,895 mi). Inclination: 0.20 deg. Period: 1,434.80 min.

  Satellite launched for Hughes Network Systems, with a Ka-band payload for space-based internet. Mass 3655 kg dry.

• 2007 October 11 - USA 195 - Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Vehicle: Atlas V. Perigee: 32,586 km (20,247 mi). Apogee: 39,016 km (24,243 mi). Inclination: 0.20 deg. Period: 1,436.80 min.

  First USAF Wideband Global Satcom satellite, designed to replace the DSCS series, was placed by the Atlas booster in an initial 477 km x 66,847 km x 20.1 deg geosynchronous transfer orbit. The satellite carried X-band and Ka-band communications payloads.

• 2008 January 15 - Thuraya 3 - Launch Site: Sea-launched. Launch Vehicle: Zenit. Mass: 5,173 kg (11,404 lb). Perigee: 35,756 km (22,217 mi). Apogee: 35,820 km (22,250 mi). Inclination: 6.20 deg. Period: 1,436.20 min.

  Launch vehicle return-to-flight after on-pad explosion one year earlier damaged launch platform. The satellite was positioned at 98.5 degrees East Longitude to provide L-band and C-band mobile voice, broadband, maritime, rural telephony, and fleet management to Thuraya subscribers. Design lifetime of 12 years.

• 2008 March 19 - DirecTV 11 - Launch Site: Kiritimati. Launch Vehicle: Zenit. Perigee: 35,787 km (22,236 mi). Apogee: 35,788 km (22,237 mi). Inclination: 0.00 deg. Period: 1,436.10 min.

  Placed in orbital slot 99.2° W Longitude. In combination with DirecTV 10, the satellite would allow the parent company to direct broadcast local HDTV to 90 percent of its customers in North America. The Ka-band satellite was equipped with 28 active and 8 spare TWTAs for direct broadcast to the continental United States and Alaska; 4 active and 4 spare for broadcast to the 48 stages and Hawaii; and 55 active and 15 spares for spot transmissions. Total power was 18 kW / 16 kW at beginning/end of life. Propulsion was provided by 445 N liquid apogee engine and four XIPS 35-cm ion thrusters. Mass at launch was 6060 kg and 3700 kg after on-board propellants were consumed to place the satellite in its operational geosynchronous orbit.