The Company and a Summary of Its Significant Accounting Policies (Details Textual) (USD $)	1 Months Ended	12 Months Ended												12 Months Ended				12 Months Ended		3 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Jan. 31, 2012	Mar. 30, 2012 Y	Apr. 01, 2011	Apr. 02, 2010	Dec. 30, 2011	Mar. 30, 2012 Percentage of total billed receivables from the U.S. government [Member]	Apr. 01, 2011 Percentage of total billed receivables from the U.S. government [Member]	Mar. 30, 2012 Percentage of total revenues from the Company's five largest contracts [Member]	Apr. 01, 2011 Percentage of total revenues from the Company's five largest contracts [Member]	Apr. 02, 2010 Percentage of total revenues from the Company's five largest contracts [Member]	Mar. 30, 2012 Percentage of total revenues from the U.S. government [Member]	Apr. 01, 2011 Percentage of total revenues from the U.S. government [Member]	Apr. 02, 2010 Percentage of total revenues from the U.S. government [Member]	Mar. 30, 2012 Common Stock Held in Treasury [Member]	Apr. 01, 2011 Common Stock Held in Treasury [Member]	Apr. 02, 2010 Common Stock Held in Treasury [Member]	Apr. 03, 2009 Common Stock Held in Treasury [Member]	Mar. 30, 2012 Customer Premise Equipment [Member] Y	Apr. 01, 2011 Customer Premise Equipment [Member]	Jul. 02, 2010 Government satellite communication program [Member]	Apr. 01, 2011 Government satellite communication program [Member]	Mar. 30, 2012 Accounting Standards Update No 2009-13 [Member]	Mar. 30, 2012 Accounting Standards Update No 2011-04 [Member]	Mar. 30, 2012 Accounting Standards Update No 2011-05 [Member]	Mar. 30, 2012 Accounting Standards Update No 2011-08 [Member]	Mar. 30, 2012 Accounting Standards Update No 2011-11 [Member]
Recent authoritative guidance
Common stock issued based on the vesting terms of certain restricted stock unit agreements			433,173	234,039																						472,311
Description of new accounting pronouncements																						In October 2009, the FASB issued authoritative guidance for revenue recognition with multiple deliverables (ASU 2009-13, which updated ASC 605-25) This new guidance impacts the determination of when the individual deliverables included in a multiple-element arrangement may be treated as separate units of accounting Additionally, this authoritative guidance modifies the manner in which the transaction consideration is allocated across the separately identified deliverables by no longer permitting the residual method of allocating arrangement consideration The Company adopted this authoritative guidance in the first quarter of fiscal year 2012 without a material impact on its consolidated financial statements and disclosures	In May 2011, the FASB issued ASU 2011-04, Fair Value Measurement (ASC 820): Amendments to Achieve Common Fair Value Measurement and Disclosure Requirements in GAAP and International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS). The new authoritative guidance results in a consistent definition of fair value and common requirements for measurement of and disclosure about fair value between GAAP and IFRS. While many of the amendments to GAAP are not expected to have a significant effect on practice, the new guidance changes some fair value measurement principles and disclosure requirements. This authoritative guidance became effective for the Company beginning in the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2012. The Company adopted this authoritative guidance in the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2012 without a material impact on its consolidated financial statements and disclosures.	In June 2011, the FASB issued ASU 2011-05, Comprehensive Income (ASC 220): Presentation of Comprehensive Income. The new authoritative guidance requires an entity to present the total of comprehensive income, the components of net income, and the components of other comprehensive income either in a single continuous statement of comprehensive income or in two separate but consecutive statements. The new authoritative guidance eliminates the option to present the components of other comprehensive income as part of the statement of equity. In December 2011, the FASB further amended its guidance to defer changes related to the presentation of reclassification adjustments indefinitely as a result of concerns raised by stakeholders that the new presentation requirements would be difficult for preparers and add unnecessary complexity to financial statements. The authoritative guidance (other than the portion regarding the presentation of reclassification adjustments which, as noted above, has been deferred indefinitely) will be effective for the Company beginning in the first quarter of fiscal year 2013 and should be applied retrospectively; however, early adoption is permitted. The Company is currently evaluating the impact that the authoritative guidance may have on its consolidated financial statements and disclosures.	In September 2011, the FASB issued ASU 2011-08, Intangibles—Goodwill and Other (ASC 350): Testing Goodwill for Impairment. The new authoritative guidance simplifies how an entity tests goodwill for impairment. The new authoritative guidance allows an entity to first assess qualitative factors to determine whether it is necessary to perform the two-step quantitative goodwill impairment test. The two-step quantitative impairment test is required only if, based on its qualitative assessment, an entity determines that it is more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying amount. This authoritative guidance is effective for interim and annual goodwill impairment tests performed for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2011. Early adoption is permitted if an entity’s financial statements for the more recent interim and annual period have not yet been issued. The Company early adopted this authoritative guidance in the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2012. Adoption of this authoritative guidance did not have a material impact on the Company’s consolidated financial statements and disclosures	In December 2011, the FASB issued ASU 2011-11, Balance Sheet (ASC 210): Disclosures about offsetting Assets and Liabilities. The new authoritative guidance requires an entity to disclose information about offsetting and related arrangements to enable users of its financial statements to evaluate the effect or potential effect of netting arrangements on an entity’s financial position, including the effect or potential effect of rights of setoff associated with certain financial instruments and derivative instruments in the scope of this authoritative guidance. This authoritative guidance will be effective for the Company beginning in the first quarter of fiscal year 2014 and should be applied retrospectively for all comparative periods presented. The Company is currently evaluating the impact that this authoritative guidance may have on its consolidated financial statements and disclosures.
Revenue Recognition [Line Items]
Forward loss related to loss contracts		$ 1,400,000	$ 12,100,000	$ 9,300,000																$ 8,500,000	$ 8,500,000
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Total accumulated depreciation of CPE		209,044,000	149,238,000															33,100,000	19,200,000
Equity, Class of Treasury Stock [Line Items]
Purchase of treasury shares pursuant to vesting of certain RSU agreements		(7,451,000)	(5,880,000)	(2,326,000)										(7,451,000)	(5,880,000)	(2,326,000)
Purchase of treasury shares pursuant to vesting of certain RSU agreements, shares														(167,311)	(153,226)	(88,438)
Shares repurchased from Intelsat, shares																(251,731)
Repurchased shares of common stock held in treasury														727,674	560,363	407,137	66,968
Concentration risk, percentage						21.40%	35.30%	19.60%	21.20%	25.40%	19.90%	24.50%	30.30%
Shares repurchased from Intelsat				8,000,000												8,000,000
The Company and a Summary of Its Significant Accounting Policies (Textual) [Abstract]
Period of in orbit performance incentive payments including interest		15 years
Proceeds under indemnification agreement	20,000,000
Payment under indemnification agreement	20,500,000
Notional value of foreign currency forward contracts outstanding		9,600,000	4,600,000
Foreign currency forward contracts maturity		9 to 20 months
Estimated net amount of unrealized gains or losses on foreign currency cash flow income expected to be reclassified to earnings within the next twelve months		400,000
Gains or losses from ineffectiveness of derivative instruments		0	0	0
Capital lease accumulated amortization		800,000
Capitalized cost related to software development for resale		22,700,000	15,800,000
Impairment of long-lived assets (property, equipment, and satellites, and other assets) recorded		0	0	0
Capitalized interest expense		25,900,000	28,300,000	8,800,000
Total capitalized costs related to orbital slots and other licenses		8,400,000	5,700,000
Impairment of goodwill recorded by the Company		0	0	0
Amount recorded as a liability under the indemnification agreement		0	500,000		20,500,000
Payment of debt issuance costs		(5,706,000)	(2,775,000)	(12,781,000)
Defense contract audit agency completed cost audits		Contract costs on U.S. government contracts are subject to audit and review by the Defense Contracting Management Agency (DCMA), the Defense Contract Audit Agency (DCAA), and other U.S. government agencies, as well as negotiations with U.S. government representatives. The Company’s incurred cost audits by the DCAA have not been completed for fiscal year 2003 and subsequent fiscal years. Although the Company has recorded contract revenues subsequent to fiscal year 2002 based upon an estimate of costs that the Company believes will be approved upon final audit or review, the Company does not know the outcome of any ongoing or future audits or reviews and adjustments, and if future adjustments exceed the Company’s estimates, its profitability would be adversely affected.
Amortization expense of software development costs		5,200,000	0	0
CPE leased equipment, total cost		85,271,000	61,610,000
Property, equipment and satellites, estimated useful life minimum (years)		2																3
Capitalization of estimated satellite performance incentives obligation		22,300,000
Accumulated amortization of patents and other licenses		400,000	300,000
Maximum warranty periods provided on limited warranty		5 years
Total US government contract-related reserves balance		6,700,000	6,700,000
Life over which software development costs are amortized once product is available for general release		5
Capital Leases		3,100,000	3,100,000
Capitalized costs, net, related to software developed for resale		41,992,000	24,472,000
Property, equipment and satellites, estimated useful life maximum (years)		24																5
Self-insurance liability		1,700,000	1,500,000
Total capitalized cost related to patents		3,200,000	3,200,000
Revenues from the Company's commercial customers which are 10% or more of total revenues		0	0	0
Accrued indemnification losses		0	0
Deferred rent included in accrued liabilities		700,000	600,000
Deferred rent included in other long-term liabilities		8,237,000	6,267,000
Amortization expense related to patents and other licenses		$ 0	$ 0	$ 0