The rocket and spacecraft manufacturer SpaceX has been awarded a contract to launch one of the ViaSat-3 Ka-band satellite missions, scheduled between 2020 and 2022.

The Viasat mission will be launched aboard SpaceX's Falcon Heavy space rocket from Launch Pad 39A (LC-39A) at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, USA.

Dave Ryan, President of Viasat Space Systems, said: "Viasat was looking for a ViaSat-3 launch partner that included our mission-specific requirements: to quickly and safely place a ViaSat-3 spacecraft on a growing global demand target. in broadband.

"We selected SpaceX as they continue to demonstrate their commitment to advancing space technologies. Their proven technology is both powerful and effective for propelling a ViaSat-3 spacecraft near the geostationary orbit. "

"We selected SpaceX as they continue to demonstrate their commitment to advancing space technologies. Their proven technology is both powerful and effective. "

The global communications company Viasat has chosen the heavy launcher for its ability to perform an almost direct injection mission, inserting a ViaSat-3 satellite extremely close to the geostationary orbit.

This will allow the spacecraft to start the tests in orbit (IOT) immediately after launch, instead of spending weeks or months performing in-orbit maneuvers.

Viasat will be able to activate its broadband service at a very high speed much faster than other launchers.

Satellites are designed to provide enhanced capabilities in terms of speed of service and flexibility for a satellite platform.

The first two satellites are planned respectively for the Americas and Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) regions, while the third satellite will be for the Asia-Pacific region (APAC).

Each satellite of the ViaSat-3 class should provide more than one terabit per second of network capacity.

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