It is positioned in geostationary orbit at a longitude of 110° West, from where it is used to provide high-definition television direct broadcasting services to the Contiguous United States.

EchoStar VIII was built by Space Systems/Loral, and is based on the LS-1300 satellite bus.

[2] It is equipped with 32 Ku band transponders,[3] and at launch it had a mass of 4,660 kilograms (10,270 lb), with an expected operational lifespan of around 12 years.

[4] The launch occurred from Baikonur Cosmodrome on 22 August 2002.

[5] The satellite experienced an anomaly on April 16, 2017, and was moved to the graveyard orbit.