Atlantic Bird 1 payload Activated

Today, September 4, the payload of Atlantic Bird 1, the commercial
telecommunications satellite built by prime contractor Alenia Spazio, has
been switched on.

The satellite was launched on Wednesday August 28th at 7.45 p.m. local time
(00.45 August 29th in Italy) and reached its nominal orbital position at
12.5 degrees West over the Atlantic Ocean after the firing of the Apogee
Motor on August 30th.

In the past two days, Atlantic Bird was stabilised into its correct
geostationary orbit and the antennas and solar panels deployed.