After a successful positioning, problems with the deployment of one solar panel prevented the use of the Ku-Band Tx-antenna and subsequently any TV broadcast services. A great variety of tests and error analyses were performed to thoroughly investigate the failure and also to gain experience for the follow-on missions. This required GSOC's full engineering expertise and the flexibilty of the ground segment. In May 1989, when all the tests proved that TV-SAT 1 could not become operational the satellite was moved into a so called safety orbit i.e. grave-yard-orbit, 340 km above the geosynchronous orbit.
The TV-SAT 2 mission, in contrast, was a perfect mission. Using the routine operational planning and optimization methods, the satellite was put into its geostationary position within eleven days. Following the "In-Orbit-Tests" the responsibility for routine operation was transferred, step by step up till the middle of 1990, to the Deutsche Bundespost Telekom.