Property and Equipment (Details 2) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Sep. 30, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Property and equipment
Construction in progress	$ 765,062	$ 1,418,763
Progress amounts for satellite construction, including prepayments under capital leases and launch services costs
Property and equipment
Construction in progress	661,250	1,235,577
Satellite related equipment
Property and equipment
Construction in progress	83,907	152,737
Other
Property and equipment
Construction in progress	$ 19,905	$ 30,449

Amount of structure or a modification to a structure under construction. Includes recently completed structures or modifications to structures that have not been placed into service.

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 360
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (b)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6391035&loc=d3e2868-110229

Name:	us-gaap_ConstructionInProgressGross
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant