Business combination, ownership percentage acquired by related party.

No definition available.

Name:	sats_BusinessCombinationOwnershipPercentageAcquiredByRelatedParty
Namespace Prefix:	sats_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Related party transactions, number of DBS transponders available.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	sats_RelatedPartyTransactionsNumberOfDBSTranspondersAvailable
Namespace Prefix:	sats_
Data Type:	xbrli:integerItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Related party transactions number of DBS transponders expected to receive services per agreement.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	sats_RelatedPartyTransactionsNumberOfDBSTranspondersExpectedToReceiveServicesPerAgreement
Namespace Prefix:	sats_
Data Type:	xbrli:integerItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Related party transactions number of DBS transponders receiving services.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	sats_RelatedPartyTransactionsNumberOfDBSTranspondersReceivingServices
Namespace Prefix:	sats_
Data Type:	xbrli:integerItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Related party transactions number of DBS transponders receiving sublease services.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	sats_RelatedPartyTransactionsNumberOfDBSTranspondersReceivingServicesSublease
Namespace Prefix:	sats_
Data Type:	xbrli:integerItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Line items represent financial concepts included in a table. These concepts are used to disclose reportable information associated with domain members defined in one or many axes to the table.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_IncomeStatementBalanceSheetAndAdditionalDisclosuresByDisposalGroupsIncludingDiscontinuedOperationsLineItems
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_TypeOfArrangementAxis=sats_TeleSatTransponderAgreementMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	dei_LegalEntityAxis=sats_TelesatCanadaMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_RelatedPartyTransactionsByRelatedPartyAxis=sats_DISHNetworkMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_TypeOfArrangementAxis=sats_DISHNimiq5AgreementMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentByTypeAxis=sats_QuetzSat1Member
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_TypeOfArrangementAxis=sats_SatelliteServicesAgreementMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	dei_LegalEntityAxis=sats_SESLatinAmericaMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_TypeOfArrangementAxis=sats_SatelliteCapacityLeaseAgreementMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis=sats_EchoStarTechnologiesBusinessMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_TypeOfArrangementAxis=sats_ShareExchangeAgreementMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

Discontinued Operations - Narrative (Details) - transponder	Dec. 31, 2017	Feb. 28, 2013	Sep. 30, 2009	Nov. 30, 2008
TeleSat Transponder Agreement \| Telesat Canada
Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Additional Disclosures by Disposal Groups, Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items]
Number of DBS transponders available to receive services			32
DISH Network \| DISH Nimiq 5 Agreement
Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Additional Disclosures by Disposal Groups, Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items]
Number of DBS transponders available to receive services			32
QuetzSat-1 \| Satellite Services Agreement \| S E S Latin America
Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Additional Disclosures by Disposal Groups, Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items]
Number of DBS transponders expected to receive services				32
QuetzSat-1 \| DISH Network \| Satellite Capacity Lease Agreement
Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Additional Disclosures by Disposal Groups, Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items]
Number of DBS transponders currently receiving services				24
Number of DBS transponders receiving certain satellite services from related party		5
EchoStar Technologies segment \| DISH Network \| Share Exchange Agreement
Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Additional Disclosures by Disposal Groups, Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items]
Ownership interest acquired by related party (as a percent)	100.00%