Related Party Transactions (Narrative) (Details) (USD $)	9 Months Ended	0 Months Ended		9 Months Ended	12 Months Ended	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended			3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended					3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended			9 Months Ended		9 Months Ended				9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2014 Telesat Holdings Inc [Member]	Apr. 11, 2011 Viasat and Telesat [Member]	Sep. 30, 2014 Xtar [Member]	Sep. 30, 2014 MHR Funds [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 MHR Funds [Member]	Sep. 30, 2014 Transaction, Consulting Agreement [Member] Telesat Holdings Inc [Member]	Sep. 30, 2013 Transaction, Consulting Agreement [Member] Telesat Holdings Inc [Member]	Sep. 30, 2014 Transaction, Consulting Agreement [Member] Telesat Holdings Inc [Member]	Sep. 30, 2013 Transaction, Consulting Agreement [Member] Telesat Holdings Inc [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 Transaction, Consulting Agreement [Member] Telesat Holdings Inc [Member]	Sep. 30, 2014 Transaction, Consulting Agreement [Member] Director [Member]	Sep. 30, 2013 Transaction, Consulting Agreement [Member] Director [Member]	Sep. 30, 2014 Transaction, Consulting Agreement [Member] Director [Member]	Sep. 30, 2013 Transaction, Consulting Agreement [Member] Director [Member]	Sep. 30, 2014 Transaction, Tax Indemnification [Member] Telesat Holdings Inc [Member]	Mar. 31, 2014 Transaction, Tax Indemnification [Member] Telesat Holdings Inc [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 Transaction, Tax Indemnification [Member] Telesat Holdings Inc [Member]	Sep. 30, 2014 Transaction, Supplemental Capacity Revenue Share [Member] Viasat and Telesat [Member]	Sep. 30, 2013 Transaction, Supplemental Capacity Revenue Share [Member] Viasat and Telesat [Member]	Sep. 30, 2014 Transaction, Supplemental Capacity Revenue Share [Member] Viasat and Telesat [Member]	Sep. 30, 2013 Transaction, Supplemental Capacity Revenue Share [Member] Viasat and Telesat [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 Transaction, Supplemental Capacity Revenue Share [Member] Viasat and Telesat [Member]	Sep. 30, 2014 Transaction, Management Agreement [Member] Xtar [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 Transaction, Management Agreement [Member] Xtar [Member]	Sep. 30, 2014 Annual Fee [Member] Transaction, Consulting Agreement [Member] Telesat Holdings Inc [Member]	Sep. 30, 2014 Monthly Fee [Member] Transaction, Consulting Agreement [Member] Director [Member]	Sep. 30, 2014 Years 2003 to 2006 [Member] Telesat Holdings Inc [Member] Brazil [Member]	Sep. 30, 2014 Years 1999 to 2009 [Member] Telesat Holdings Inc [Member] Hong Kong [Member]	Sep. 30, 2014 12.5% Senior Subordinated Notes Due November 2017 [Member] Telesat Holdings Inc [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Percentage of outstanding voting common stock				38.00%	38.00%
Percentage of combined ownership of voting and non-voting common stock				57.10%
Economic interest in affiliates	62.80%
Related party transaction, date								Oct. 31, 2007					Dec. 14, 2012
Transaction term								7 years												4 years
Consulting agreement, renewal term								7 years
Transaction fee																									$ 5,000,000	$ 120,000
Related party annual transaction rate								7.00%
Transaction income during the period						1,250,000	1,250,000	3,800,000	3,800,000		51,000	51,000	153,000	153,000				300,000	300,000	800,000	1,000,000
Expenses on transactions with related party											360,000	360,000	1,080,000	1,080,000
Expenses deductible from transaction fee																										17,000
Transaction payments received during the period								3,600,000	5,000,000
Redemption of notes receivable - related party									1,300,000
Equity method investment senior subordinated notes interest rate stated percentage																													12.50%
Indenture maturity date																													Nov. 01, 2017
Redemption date of debt instrument																													2013-05
Transaction, notes receivable						0		0		0
Tax assessment imposed audit																											7,000,000
Amount deposited with taxing authority																												6,500,000
Tax Indemnification settlement liability																1,100,000
Tax indemnification settlement refund																5,400,000
Tax indemnification current, net															0
Tax indemnification, net																	500,000
Amounts due under the transaction																		300,000		300,000		300,000
Tax indemnification, recorded liability																	2,100,000
Common stock, percentage acquired by an unaffiliated third party	90.00%
Duration for shares to be paid, days	10 days
Duration of contract assigned to Telesat		15 years
Percentage of entity's entitlement to net revenue of related party		50.00%
Amounts due under the transaction																	$ 2,600,000						$ 6,700,000	$ 6,900,000
Percentage of ownership interest			56.00%
Management fee charged as a percentage of revenue																							3.70%