HYLAS 2 [OSC]
Orbital Sciences Corporation announced today that it has signed a contract with London-based Avanti Communications Group plc for a new geosynchronous (GEO) communications satellite. The spacecraft, to be named HYLAS 2, will be based on Orbital’s Star-2.4 satellite platform. The satellite is scheduled for delivery in early 2012. When the HYLAS 2 satellite is placed into commercial service following its launch and in-orbit testing, Avanti will more than triple the satellite capacity that it will offer with its first Ka-band satellite, HYLAS 1, which is scheduled to be launched in the first half of 2010. Specific financial terms of the contract were not disclosed; however the Export-Import Bank of the United States will provide funding for the project.
The HYLAS 2 satellite will carry 24 active Ka-band user beams and four gateway beams, and will produce approximately 5.0 kilowatts of payload electrical power. The Ka-band spot beams will provide two-way communications services to facilitate high-speed delivery of data to end-user applications such as corporate networking, broadband Internet access, business continuity services and video distribution. Using the HYLAS 2 spacecraft, Avanti will provide its data and video services to Northern and Southern Africa, Eastern Europe and the Middle East. In addition, the spacecraft will be equipped with a steerable spot beam, also operating at Ka-band, which can provide coverage anywhere on Earth that is visible to the satellite.
Nation: | UK |
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Type / Application: | Communication |
Operator: | Avanti Communications Group plc |
Contractors: | Orbital Sciences Corporation (OSC) |
Equipment: | 24 active Ka-band transponders |
Configuration: | Star-2.4 Bus |
Propulsion: | IHI BT-4 |
Power: | 2 deployable solar arrays, batteries |
Lifetime: | 15 years |
Mass: | 3311 kg |
Orbit: | GEO |
Satellite | COSPAR | Date | LS | Launch Vehicle | Remarks | |
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HYLAS 2 | 2012-043B | 02.08.2012 | Ko ELA-3 | Ariane-5ECA | with Intelsat 20 |