Represents the percentage of capital stock held by related party.

No definition available.

Name:	sats_PercentageOfCapitalStockHeldByRelatedParty
Namespace Prefix:	sats_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Represents the number of owned satellites transferred.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	sats_RelatedPartyTransactionsNumberOfOwnedSatellitesTransferred
Namespace Prefix:	sats_
Data Type:	xbrli:integerItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Represents the percentage of economic interest held an entity.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	sats_RelatedPartyTransactionsPercentageOfEconomicInterestHeld
Namespace Prefix:	sats_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Represents the portion of one vote entitled to each share of tracking stock.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	sats_TargetedOrTrackingStockPortionOfVoteEntitledToEachShare
Namespace Prefix:	sats_
Data Type:	xbrli:decimalItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Cash outflow in the form of capital distributions and dividends to common shareholders, preferred shareholders and noncontrolling interests.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Glossary Financing Activities
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6513228

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 230
-SubTopic 10
-Section 45
-Paragraph 15
-Subparagraph (a)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=31042434&loc=d3e3291-108585

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_PaymentsOfDividends
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Face amount or stated value per share of preferred stock nonredeemable or redeemable solely at the option of the issuer.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 210
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02.28)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6877327&loc=d3e13212-122682

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher SEC
-Name Regulation S-X (SX)
-Number 210
-Section 02
-Paragraph 29
-Article 5

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_PreferredStockParOrStatedValuePerShare
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	num:perShareItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

The maximum number of nonredeemable preferred shares (or preferred stock redeemable solely at the option of the issuer) permitted to be issued by an entity's charter and bylaws.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_PreferredStockSharesAuthorized
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:sharesItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Proceeds from issuance of capital stock which provides for a specific dividend that is paid to the shareholders before any dividends to common stockholders and which takes precedence over common stockholders in the event of liquidation.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 230
-SubTopic 10
-Section 45
-Paragraph 14
-Subparagraph (a)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=31042434&loc=d3e3255-108585

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Glossary Financing Activities
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6513228

+ Details

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Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Number of new stock issued during the period.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 505
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 2
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6928386&loc=d3e21463-112644

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 505
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.3-04)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=27012166&loc=d3e187085-122770

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher SEC
-Name Regulation S-X (SX)
-Number 210
-Section 04
-Article 3

Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher SEC
-Name Regulation S-X (SX)
-Number 210
-Section 02
-Paragraph 29, 30
-Article 5

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_StockIssuedDuringPeriodSharesNewIssues
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:sharesItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

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

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_StatementClassOfStockAxis=sats_PreferredTrackingStockMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	dei_LegalEntityAxis=us-gaap_SubsidiariesMember
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:	dei_LegalEntityAxis=us-gaap_ParentCompanyMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

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

- Details

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

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_SubsegmentsAxis=sats_HughesRetailGroupMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

Hughes Retail Preferred Tracking Stock - Agreement (Details) $ / shares in Units, $ in Thousands			12 Months Ended
	Mar. 02, 2014 USD ($) item $ / shares shares	Mar. 02, 2014 $ / shares shares	Dec. 31, 2015 USD ($) item $ / shares shares	Dec. 31, 2014 USD ($)
Hughes Retail Group Tracking Stock
Cash received				$ 7,526
Hughes Retail Preferred Tracking Stock
Hughes Retail Group Tracking Stock
Portion of one vote entitled to each share \| item			0.10
Preferred stock, shares authorized (in shares) \| shares	13,000,000	13,000,000	13,000,000
Preferred Stock, par value (in dollars per share) \| $ / shares	$ 0.001	$ 0.001	$ 0.001
Dividend or other distributions paid on preferred stock			$ 0
Hughes Retail Preferred Tracking Stock \| Hughes Satellite Systems Corporation ("HSSC")
Hughes Retail Group Tracking Stock
Preferred stock, shares authorized (in shares) \| shares	300	300
Preferred Stock, par value (in dollars per share) \| $ / shares	$ 0.001	$ 0.001
Dividend or other distributions paid on preferred stock			$ 0
DISH Network \| EchoStar Corporation
Hughes Retail Group Tracking Stock
Percentage of capital stock held		6.50%	6.30%
DISH Network \| Hughes Satellite Systems Corporation ("HSSC")
Hughes Retail Group Tracking Stock
Percentage of capital stock held		7.50%	7.50%
DISH Network \| Hughes Retail Preferred Tracking Stock
Hughes Retail Group Tracking Stock
Percentage of economic interest held		80.00%
DISH Network \| Satellite and Tracking Stock Transaction
Hughes Retail Group Tracking Stock
Cash received	$ 11,400
DISH Network \| Satellite and Tracking Stock Transaction \| EchoStar and HSSC
Hughes Retail Group Tracking Stock
Number of owned satellites transferred \| item	5
Cash received	$ 11,400
DISH Network \| Satellite and Tracking Stock Transaction \| Hughes Retail Preferred Tracking Stock \| EchoStar Corporation
Hughes Retail Group Tracking Stock
Number of shares issued during the period \| shares		6,290,499
DISH Network \| Satellite and Tracking Stock Transaction \| Hughes Retail Preferred Tracking Stock \| Hughes Satellite Systems Corporation ("HSSC")
Hughes Retail Group Tracking Stock
Number of shares issued during the period \| shares		81.128
Hughes Retail Group \| Hughes Satellite Systems Corporation ("HSSC")
Hughes Retail Group Tracking Stock
Portion of one vote entitled to each share \| item			0.10
Hughes Retail Group \| Satellite and Tracking Stock Transaction \| EchoStar Corporation
Hughes Retail Group Tracking Stock
Percentage of economic interest held		20.00%
Hughes Retail Group \| DISH Network \| Satellite and Tracking Stock Transaction \| EchoStar Corporation
Hughes Retail Group Tracking Stock
Percentage of economic interest held		51.89%	51.89%
Hughes Retail Group \| DISH Network \| Satellite and Tracking Stock Transaction \| Hughes Satellite Systems Corporation ("HSSC")
Hughes Retail Group Tracking Stock
Percentage of economic interest held		28.11%	28.11%
Hughes Retail Group \| DISH Network \| Satellite and Tracking Stock Transaction \| Hughes Retail Preferred Tracking Stock
Hughes Retail Group Tracking Stock
Percentage of economic interest held	80.00%		80.00%