Intelsat Planning Drift for Intelsat 1R

Intelsat wants additional time to operate Intelsat 1R at its current 169.2 degrees east orbital slot and then to drift it to 157.1 degrees east, said FCC International Bureau filings Monday (see here and here). It wants 30 more days on its special temporary authority (STA) to operate at 169.2 degrees east, where it has been since June 12, to meet a potential service demand. And it asked for a 180-day STA starting Sept. 20 to drift to 157.1 degrees east and operate there. It said the drift should take about 45 days and is to be done to meet a potential service demand.