Blast from the Past: Hotbird 8
We’ve got another rocket launch for you. This time it’s one from the more recent past. The HOT BIRD 8 broadcast satellite was place into orbit on Friday via a Proton Breeze M launch vehicle, and we’ve got the video.
We’ve also got a blog post from the HOT BIRD 8 team describing the launch.
We are thrilled to have a successful return to flight for Proton M Breeze M. After a long and sleepless night, 9 hours, 11 minutes, and 20 seconds after lift-off, spacecraft separation was confirmed and the HOT BIRD 8 SC was acquired by the Eutelsat ground stations. The Eutelsat team started the process of opening the solar arrays and beginning health checks of the SC, before flying her to her final destination. After having been up all night, we headed back to the hotels to catch a quick nap and freshen up before the post-launch festivities.
See the press release for more information.
