Greenwich, Conn. -- PanAmSat Corp. announced last Wednesday
that its Galaxy X satellite was destroyed shortly after launch when its Delta III rocket
exploded.
The satellite was to have created a new U.S. cable
neighborhood for programmers at 123 degrees west longitude.
According to PanAmSat, The Walt Disney Co., TVN
Entertainment Corp. and Viacom Inc. were among the programmers set to use the new bird. A
spokeswoman for PanAmSat said the company is expected to launch a replacement satellite
within 18 months.
Most programmers that were to be on Galaxy X lease space on
other birds, and they will remain there in the interim, the company said.
The satellite industry has taken a number of hits over the
past few months, including a highly publicized PanAmSat satellite failure that made
headlines across the country when virtually all U.S. pagers temporarily lost service.
In a press release, PanAmSat said its Galaxy X satellite
and launch were fully insured.
