Intelsat-8A (805, 806) / NSS 806

Intelsat-8A [Lockheed Martin]

The Intelsat VIII-VIII/A series has been designed to meet the needs of Intelsat users throughout the system for improved C-band coverage and service. These spacecraft will incorporate six-fold C-band frequency reuse, two-fold frequency reuse of expanded C-band capacity, and the highest C-band power level ever for an Intelsat satellite. Consequently, Intelsat VIII will provide significantly more C-band capacity for public switched telephony and Intelsat Business Service, better quality for video services, and encourage new international VSAT applications.

Other salient features of Intelsat VIII satellites include:

• Two independently steerable Ku-band spot beams which can be pointed anywhere on the surface of the earth that is visible from the spacecraft in geosynchronous orbit.
• Interconnected operation between C- and Ku-bands.
• Expanded SNG (satellite news gathering) service provided by the capability to connect spot beams to global beams, including a return path for small Ku-band transportable SNG stations for voice/data communications.

This deployment of Intelsat 805 was originally scheduled to use a Chinese CZ-3B rocket. However, Intelsat bailed out of that plan after losing one of its satellites in a 1996 catastrophic launch explosion of a CZ-3B booster.

In January 2020 Intelsat 805 was put into a graveyard orbit and was passivated. Four debris objects have been cataloged from the partial breakup of Intelsat-805 in the GEO graveyard on 29 July 2026.