Intelsat Seeks Additional Time in Intelsat 16 Drift

Intelsat needs additional time to drift Intelsat 16 from 76.2 degrees west to 58.1 degrees west, the satellite company said in an FCC International Bureau filing Thursday requesting a 30-day extension of its special temporary authority for the drift. Intelsat 16 began the drift Jan. 22 and the trip is expected to take roughly 10 weeks, it said. The company said it also has a pending application to permanently operate Intelsat 16 at 58.1 degrees west. The relocation was initially expected to begin in November and has been moved back twice by unspecified delays (see 1512230009).