XM Turns On New Satellite, 'Blues'

XM said Monday that it had put its fourth satellite into operation, nicknamed Blues. Combined with its previous next-generation satellite, "Rhythm," the two would provide better coverage and reliability than the first generation satellites launched in 2001, named "Rock" and "Roll." XM said they expect the satellites to be in use for at least the next 15 years.

For the time being, the deactivated older satellites would serve as spares in the event of problems, the company said. XM has had its share of problems with the older satellites. Both suffered from power degradation issues due to a design flaw in their solar arrays. The resulting power loss has caused the satellites to operate a little less effectively than the satellite radio company had hoped.