Galaxy VIII-i is one of the most powerful satellites to join PanAmSat Corporation's fleet of spacecraft, with nearly 10 kilowatts of power at beginning of life. It is a Hughes 601HP body-stabilized model built by Hughes Space and Communications Company in El Segundo, Calif., now known as Boeing Satellite Systems, Inc. (BSS). The entire 32-transponder payload of Galaxy VIII-i operates in Ku-band, and is dedicated to Galaxy Latin AmericaTM, which provides DIRECTVTM service to Mexico, Central and South America and the Caribbean. Through the use of digital compression, the service will include more than 300 channels.