In 2009 Hughes Network Systems ordered their Jupiter-1 satellite with Space Systems/Loral (SS/L). EchoStar 17 is a Direct Broadcast Service (DBS) satellite built for EchoStar Corporation. This next-generation, Ka-Band, high-throughput satellite is located at 107.1° West Longitude and provides capacity to further fuel the HughesNet® service business in North America. The satellite utilizes SS/L’s flight-proven SSL-1300 spacecraft bus.

In 2011 satellite operator EchoStar acquired Hughes Network Systems for 1.3 billion USD. Jupiter-1 satellite was renamed EchoStar-17.

The satellite was launched on July 5^th, 2012, in a dual launch with MSG-3 weather satellite for EUMETSAT, on an Ariane 5ECA booster rocket operated by launch operator Arianespace from the Kourou Space Port in French Guiana.