This satellite is similar to T10 and T11, but features a 17/24 GHz BSS payload carrying the moniker RB-2A.[4] It is co-located with T10 very near 103.0°W.[5]
T12 reached 76° W on February 11, 2010 and began testing 2 days later. After 3 weeks of scheduled testing, RB-2A began being tested. On April 23, T12 was granted a Special Temporary Authority to continue testing at 76° W for 30 more days.[10] Testing was completed in late April.
Drift to final position
On March 31, 2010 DirecTV filed a Special Temporary Authority for permission to drift to its final position at 103° W.[11] It was granted on April 23.[12] It reached its final position on May 11 and began operations on May 13.[13] Boeing handed the satellite over to DirecTV on May 17.[14]
Broadcasting to customers
T12 increased DirecTV's national HD channel capacity to over 200 channels and expanded its availability of local channels in HD. DirecTV has used the new satellite to add more HD channels, expand its pay-per-view movie service "DirecTV Cinema" and on demand titles.[15] It also carried 3DTV channels. DirecTV began adding new HD channels on May 19 and continued June 23 and later in the summer. DirecTV added the first 3D channel to T12, ESPN 3D, on June 11, and new channels n3D and a pay-per-view 3D movie channel on July 1. A few more HD channels were added onto it in the fall of 2010, the winter of 2010-11, and the spring and summer of 2011; and more in 2012. The 3DTV channels were removed by 2014 due to consumer disinterest in the format.
Launches are separated by dots ( • ), payloads by commas ( , ), multiple names for the same satellite by slashes ( / ). Cubesats are smaller. Crewed flights are underlined. Launch failures are marked with the † sign. Payloads deployed from other spacecraft are (enclosed in parentheses).
