[1] It was manufactured by Hughes Space and Communications.

This version takes advantage of such advances as dual-junction gallium arsenide solar cells, new battery technology and the first commercial use of a high-efficiency xenon ion propulsion system (XIPS).

The satellite was launched on 22 December 1998, 01:08 UTC, on an Ariane 42L H10-3 launch vehicle from the Centre Spatial Guyanais at Kourou in French Guiana.

[2] PAS-6B provides satellite services in South America, including direct-to-home (DTH) television services.

In 2003, PAS 6B lost the secondary XIPS engines additionally to the earlier loss of the primaries, which will lead to a reduced lifetime.