EchoStar VIII (EchoStar 8)

EchoStar VIII, also known as EchoStar 8, was a geostationary communications satellite operated by EchoStar to support direct-to-home (DTH) television broadcasting for the United States market, primarily for the DISH Network.

The satellite was built by Space Systems/Loral (SSL) on the LS-1300 platform and launched on 21 August 2002 aboard an ILS Proton K rocket. EchoStar 8 operated in the Ku-band, delivering high-power broadcast capacity optimized for consumer satellite TV services.

EchoStar 8 played a key role in expanding DISH Network’s channel lineup and service reliability in the early 2000s, contributing to the continued growth of satellite television across North America.