All articles tagged with #communications satellite
SpaceX is set to launch the Indonesian Nusantara Lima communications satellite from Cape Canaveral using a Falcon 9 rocket, aiming to improve Indonesia's space-based connectivity with a high-capacity Boeing-built satellite expected to begin service in early 2026, amidst weather delays and a successful booster recovery.
SpaceX successfully launched its 16th Falcon 9 rocket of the year, deploying a powerful Indonesian communications satellite, Merah Putih 2, into orbit. The satellite, operated by Telkomsat, is designed to provide high-speed data coverage for Indonesia. This launch marks SpaceX's 301st since the rocket's debut in 2010, with the company expecting to launch over 140 rockets this year. Additionally, SpaceX is preparing for the launch of three NASA astronauts and a Russian to the International Space Station on March 1.
SpaceX successfully launched the heaviest commercial communications satellite, Jupiter 3/EchoStar 24, atop a Falcon Heavy rocket. The 9-metric-ton satellite, featuring 300 spot beams and 500 Gbps of capacity, will expand the reach of the HughesNet satellite internet service to nearly 80% of the population across the Americas. The Falcon Heavy's twin side boosters returned to landing zones, while the core stage was not recovered. The satellite will be used for broadband connectivity in rural areas, cellular backhaul for mobile network operators, and aeronautical connectivity. Service is expected to begin in the fourth quarter of 2023.
SpaceX is set to launch the heaviest commercial communications satellite ever, the Jupiter 3/EchoStar 24, atop a Falcon Heavy rocket from Kennedy Space Center's pad 39A. After technical problems halted the initial countdown, the launch is scheduled for Friday. The 9-metric-ton satellite will expand the reach of the HughesNet satellite internet service to nearly 80% of the population across the Americas, featuring 300 spot beams and 500 Gbps of capacity. The satellite will be launched into geostationary orbit, allowing for improved broadband connectivity in rural areas and aiding cellular backhaul and aeronautical connectivity.
SpaceX is set to launch the SATRIA communications satellite, built by Thales Alenia Space, on a Falcon 9 rocket to provide internet service to rural Indonesia. The satellite will be operated by Satelit Nusantara Tiga, a subsidiary of the Indonesian satellite company PT Pasifik Satelit Nusantara, and will provide internet service to rural hospitals, schools, and government buildings, focusing on areas where terrestrial fiber connections are unavailable. The SATRIA project cost nearly $550 million and is the second in a series of PSN satellites to bring improved communications to Indonesia.
SpaceX has delayed the launch of a communications satellite from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station due to inclement weather and to allow more time for pre-launch checkouts. The next two-hour window to fly will open at 11:25 p.m. EDT Friday, May 26. The rocket's first stage will target a drone ship landing in the Atlantic Ocean, marking its 14th flight to date. The payload fairing contains BADR-8, a commercial communications satellite for Saudi Arabia-based Arabsat.
SpaceX's launch of the Airbus-built Badr 8 communications satellite for Arabsat was delayed by 24 hours due to bad weather. The Falcon 9 rocket has a launch window of nearly two hours opening at 11:25 p.m. EDT Wednesday, but there's just a 25% chance of favorable weather at the opening of the launch window. The nearly 10,000 pound Badr 8 satellite will provide C-band and Ku-band communications services to replace capacity currently offered by the aging 15-year-old Badr 6 satellite in geostationary orbit.
SpaceX's Falcon Heavy rocket successfully launched from Kennedy Space Center, carrying a communications satellite for ViaSat, a small communications craft for Astranis, and cubesat for Gravity Space. This was Falcon Heavy's second flight this year and all three boosters were expended due to the mission's fuel requirements. Reusability is a key goal of SpaceX, which helps drive down costs and helps the company keep up a rapid launch schedule. This marks the 28th flight this year for SpaceX and the 100th flight that the company has flown reused payload fairings.
Northrop Grumman completed a critical design review of a Space Development Agency communications satellite in just 13 months, a fraction of the time required for traditional space programs. The company is relying on partnerships with industry experts to build 58 satellites in less than three years for the Space Development Agency's Transport Layer Tranche 1, a global communications network in low-Earth orbit.