Arianespace - Ariane 5 Flight VA258 Mission patch.
Sept. 7, 2022
Ariane 5 carrying Eutelsat Konnect VHTS liftoff
On Wednesday, September 7th, 2022 at 6:45 pm local time, an Ariane 5 launcher, operated by Arianespace, successfully lifted off from Europe’s Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana (South America), carrying the EUTELSAT KONNECT VHTS telecommunications satellite.
Ariane 5 launches Eutelsat Konnect VHTS
The Eutelsat Konnect Very High Throughput Satellite (VHTS) will provide high-speed internet access throughout Europe, with an instantaneous rate of 500 Gbps.
– EUTELSAT KONNECT VHTS will provide high-speed internet access throughout Europe, in particular in isolated regions with low coverage.
EUTELSAT KONNECT VHTS
“With yet another successful launch, Arianespace is proud to have placed in orbit, for the 37th time since 1983, a satellite for the operator Eutelsat”, said Stéphane Israël, CEO of Arianespace. “EUTELSAT KONNECT VHTS, built by Thales Alenia Space, offers capacity that will be able to connect underserved zones throughout Europe, providing them Internet access, which underscores how Arianespace uses Space to achieve a better life on Earth. Another success to the credit of both the European team of launchers and Ariane 5, which only has three more missions left before retirement.”
With an instantaneous throughput of 500 Gbps, EUTELSAT KONNECT VHTS will provide high-speed internet access throughout Europe, especially in isolated regions with poor coverage, delivering service on a par with fiber-optic networks in terms of performance and cost, thus making a significant contribution to bridging the digital divide. EUTELSAT KONNECT VHTS will also address the broadband connectivity needs of fixed and mobile telecommunications networks on land, sea or in the air.
EUTELSAT KONNECT VHTS was built in France by Thales Alenia Space around the Spacebus NEO all-electric propulsion platform. It carries a cutting-edge payload using disruptive technologies developed with the support of the French Government, via the French space agency CNES (Centre National d’Etudes Spatiales) and the “Investing in the Future” program (PIA), together with the European Space Agency (ESA). In particular, the payload includes the most powerful digital processor in the world, which combines agile capacity allocation, optimized spectrum use and support, and gradual deployment of network coverage on the ground.
The Ariane 5 heavy-lift launcher is an ESA program carried out in cooperation between public institutions and industry across 12 European partner states. The launches are operated by Arianespace.
Arianespace: https://www.arianespace.com/
Thales Alenia Space: https://www.thalesgroup.com/en/global/activities/space
EUTELSAT: https://www.eutelsat.com/en/home.html
Images, Video, Text, Credits: Arianespace/Thales Alenia Space/SciNews/Orbiter.ch Aerospace/Roland Berga.
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