SpaceX Launches Dish's First New Broadcast Satellite in 16 Years Aboard Falcon 9

A SpaceX Falcon 9 lifted off from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station late Monday night, carrying EchoStar XXV to geosynchronous transfer orbit in what marks the first new direct-broadcast satellite Dish Network has launched since EchoStar XV in 2010.

The spacecraft, built by Lanteris Space Systems (formerly Maxar Space Systems) on its proven 1300 series bus, a platform in production since 1989 that forms the backbone of more than 95 spacecraft currently on orbit, weighs approximately 6,800 kilograms at launch. A company spokesman described it as roughly the size of a motorhome or small bus, with solar arrays spanning over 100 feet when fully deployed. Once operational at 110 degrees West longitude in geostationary orbit, the satellite will deliver high-power direct-broadcast television service across all 50 states and Puerto Rico, using multiple independently steerable beams to direct signal capacity where demand is highest.

The 16-year gap between new broadcast satellite launches underscores the pressure Dish has faced from streaming rivals, but Dish chairman Charlie Ergen has remained publicly committed to the technology. "We don't think that the direct broadcast satellite business is going away," Ergen said in 2023. "It's still the preferred choice for a lot of Americans in terms of an efficient way to watch TV." Dish currently serves an estimated 7 million pay-TV subscribers. EchoStar XXV will not be its last bet on the medium: the company has already contracted Lanteris to build EchoStar XXVI, scheduled for delivery in 2028.

The Falcon 9 opened its 149-minute launch window at 11:14 p.m. ET on Monday, with the 45th Weather Squadron forecasting a 90 percent chance of acceptable conditions, noting the cumulus cloud rule as the primary concern. The rocket followed SpaceX's standard flight profile: main engine cutoff at two minutes and 28 seconds after liftoff, stage separation three seconds later, and fairing jettison at three minutes and 13 seconds. EchoStar XXV separated from the upper stage at 32 minutes and 41 seconds after liftoff.

The mission's first-stage booster, designated B1085, made its 14th flight on Monday after a 54-day turnaround, continuing a track record that includes two crewed missions and a circumlunar flight. The booster executed a landing burn starting at eight minutes and 31 seconds post-launch, touching down on the droneship A Shortfall of Gravitas in the Atlantic Ocean nine seconds later, SpaceX's 601st booster recovery attempt.

The flight marks SpaceX's 30th mission of 2026, maintaining the pace of a launch cadence that the Falcon 9, with a listed GTO payload capacity of 8,300 kilograms, has made routine for commercial satellite operators. The 1300 series bus chosen by Dish and Lanteris can carry that capacity with margin to spare, giving EchoStar XXV the power budget needed for its high-intensity spot beam architecture.

EchoStar XXV will now undergo on-orbit testing and maneuvering from its transfer orbit before settling into its permanent geostationary slot, after which Dish expects to begin expanding service capacity to its North American customer base.