The European rocket will put a 6.4ton telecommunications satellite into orbit
The liftoff of the Arianespace Ariane 5 rocket on flight VA258 is scheduled for September
7, 2022, as early as possible within the launch window between 21:45 to 22:51 UTC, or 17:45 to 18:51 EDT.
Due to adverse weather conditions at the Guyana Space Center (CSG), flight VA258 – initially scheduled for September 6, 2022, has been postponed. According to Arianespace, “the Ariane 5 ECA launch rocket and EUTELSAT KONNECT VHTS satellite are in stable and safe condition.”
The launch will be made from the ELA-3 platform at the Guiana space center. The satellite to be transported is the 6,300 kg EUTELSAT KONNECT VHTS, which has the most powerful on-board digital processor ever placed in orbit. The satellite, built on a Thales Alenia Space Spacebus-Neo 2000 chassis, offers flexibility in capacity allocation, optimal spectrum usage and a progressive terrestrial network. Thales Alenia Space also developed the ground segment.
The investment in KONNECT VHTS replaces the joint project with ViaSat on the ViaSat 3-EMEA satellite for Europe, Africa and the Middle East. With an instant rate of 500 Gbps, KONNECT VHTS “will provide high-speed Internet access throughout Europe, especially in isolated and low-coverage regions, offering service comparable to fiber optic networks in terms of performance and cost, contributing to so significantly for the bridge to split. It will also meet the broadband connectivity needs of fixed and mobile telecommunications networks, on land, sea or air.”
It carries a cutting-edge payload using disruptive technologies developed with support from the French government, through the Center National d'Etudes Spatiales (CNES) and the “Investing in the Future” (PIA) program, in conjunction with the European Space Agency. (ESA). The payload notably comprises the world's most powerful digital processor, which combines agile capacity allocation, optimized spectrum usage and support, and gradual deployment of ground network coverage. KONNECT VHTS will be the 37th Eutelsat satellite launched by Arianespace and will be the 166th Thales Alenia Space device to be launched by the same company.
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