\<COLOUR 1> LAUNCH DATE: \<COLOUR 0> July 12, 1989
\<COLOUR 1> LAUNCH SITE: \<COLOUR 0> Kourou Space Centre, French Guiana
\<COLOUR 1> LAUNCH VEHICLE: \<COLOUR 0> Ariane 3
\<COLOUR 1> ORBIT: \<COLOUR 0> Geostationary, 35,900 km high
\<COLOUR 1> SIZE: \<COLOUR 0> 2.9 metres by 2.7 metres by 5.6 metres; span across solar arrays 26 metres
\<COLOUR 1> WEIGHT: \<COLOUR 0> 2.6 tonnes
\<COLOUR 1> COUNTRY: \<COLOUR 0> Europe
\<COLOUR 1> COMMENTS: \<COLOUR 0> A large pre-operational communications satellite with four payloads; launched primarily to demonstrate the potential of large comsat communications in Europe, including direct broadcasting to domestic satellite dishes and use of satellite communications for businesses and universities and for education.