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Hellas Sat 4, the Arabsat-owned high-capacity communications satellite shared by Greece and Cyprus, was successfully launched on Tuesday aboard ArianeSpace's first launch of the year from Spaceport in French Guiana.
The launch of the satellite opens a new chapter in the history of space for Cyprus and Greece, said Minister of Communications and Transport Vbadiliki Anastasiadou of the Kourou Space Center.
The minister discussed the geopolitical, technological and commercial benefits of Hellas Sat 4 and added: "We are proud to see the flags of both countries accompany the satellite into its space orbit".
The launch at 22:01 CET (23h01 Cyprus / Greece) aboard the Ariane 5 rocket was broadcast live in Europe, the Middle East and India, as well as by the company's satellite partner, Hellas Sat 3.
The new satellite, considered Lockheed Martin's largest commercial satellite, will offer television, Internet and mobile telephony services in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, connecting European air travelers to Wi-Fi and relaying signals video and data across India. It was launched in collaboration with Arabsat-6A, the parent company of the company, both commissioned by Arabsat / Hellas Sat and King Abdulaziz's City for Science and Technology of Saudi Arabia.
After nearly 40 minutes of flight, Hellas Sat 4 was positioned at 39 degrees East, next to Hellas Sat 3, launched in space in June 2017.
Christodoulos Protopapas, CEO of the company and president of the Hellenic Space Agency, said his mission was to provide innovative satellite services, developing Hellas Sat's operations in Europe, the Middle East and South Africa. .
"Hellas Sat 4 is one of the most modern in the world, based on the LM 2100 satellite series, present in the specific market and optimized with state-of-the-art power technology," said Protopapas. .
"Hellas Satellite 4 is equipped with state-of-the-art solar energy sensors that look like open sails (modular multi-mission solar panel technology)," said Protopapas, adding that thanks to the the satellite's innovative technology, it will be able to stay in orbit longer.
"Arabsat-6A and its badociated satellite Hellas Sat 4 / SaudiGeoSat-1 are the most advanced commercial communications satellites we have ever built," said Lisa Callahan, Vice President and General Manager of the Civil and Commercial Space of Lockheed Martin.
"The modernized LM 2100 on which these satellites are built is packed with innovations, including 30% lighter and 50% more powerful solar panels, improved flight software and more efficient propulsion capabilities, extending the service life." maneuvers. These enhancements will provide superior accuracy, performance and value in orbit. "
Both satellites have been designed for a 15-year life.
Commenting on the launch of Hellas Sat 4, Giorgos Komodromos, Head of the Department of Electronic Communications at the Cyprus Ministry of Transport, told the Financial Mirror that it was "another important step for Cyprus, the satellite carrying the Cypriot flag and ahead of be positioned in the airspace allocated to Cyprus and Greece "by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU).
Explaining that Cypriot consumers do not rely much on satellite services, as Cyprus enjoys a good terrestrial network, the services provided by satellites, such as the Hellas Sat fleet, are complementary to television and radio services. ;Internet.
Komodromos said that the launch of satellites in the airspace allocated to Cyprus would benefit the country, as companies operating the airspace and frequencies of Cyprus pay royalties to the Republic.
"Satellites also need ground infrastructure because the satellites must be supported and monitored 24 hours a day. Hellas Sat and CyTA have two ground infrastructures and operations in Kofinou and Kakorakia, respectively.
Komodromos concluded that satellites such as Hellas Sat 4 will have a complementary but essential role to play once the country has made the jump to 5G broadband Internet technology, as it will fill the gaps in the terrestrial network.
During his speech in Kourou, Minister Anastasiades said that the presence of Hellas Sat in Cyprus since 2001, when Cyprus and Greece jointly granted licenses to the company, is "an important step in strengthening our position. regional satellite communications center.This agreement has put Cyprus on the global satellite map. "
Thanking Christodoulos Protopapas, CEO of Hellas Sat, and all those who worked tirelessly for this launch, she promised that the ministry would remain committed to supporting and facilitating the activities of satellite providers in Cyprus.
Arianespace announced in an announcement that it had opened its mission activity in 2019 by successfully putting into orbit a pair of telecommunication spacecraft – Saudi Geostationary Satellite 1 / Hellas Sat 4 (HS-4 / SGS-1) and GSAT-31 – using the company's Ariane 5 launcher. vehicle.
Stéphane Israël, CEO of Arianespace, confirmed the success of post-launch comments from the Spaceport control room to Jupiter.
"For the first Ariane 5 launch of the year, our heavyweight has once again worked perfectly," he said. "Congratulations to all!"
"Deployed the first of the flight sequence 27 minutes after take-off, the HS-4 / SGS-1 is a geostationary" condosat "for the Saudi city of King Abdulaziz (KACST), Saudi Arabia, and for Hellas Sat, operator of Greek-Cypriot Cypriot satellite. . Designed, badembled and integrated by Lockheed Martin Space, the HS-4 / SGS-1 will operate from an orbital position of 39 degrees. East, with a coverage area including Europe, South Africa and the Middle East, "said Arianespace.
He added that the Saudi geostationary satellite 1 communication payload would provide Ka-band narrow-beam advanced communication services to KACST, the government organization responsible for the promotion of science and technology in Saudi Arabia. The Hellas Sat 4 communication payload will provide advanced Ku-beam regional beam communication services to the Arabsat subsidiary.
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