EUTELSAT KONNECT VHTS Satellite to Launch September 6

On Tuesday, September 6 an Ariane 5 will lift off from Europe’s Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana, carrying the EUTELSAT KONNECT VHTS (Very High Throughput) telecommunications satellite.

"It is the most powerful satellite to join the Eutelsat fleet. It will deliver 230 beams over Western Europe and is equipped with a Digital Transparent Processor of 5th generation which will give a considerable advantage in terms of frequency flexibility onboard.”

Pascal Homsy, Chief Technical Officer at Eutelsat.

This satellite will be the 37th launched by Arianespace for Eutelsat, one of the world’s leading commercial satellite operators, thus continuing the close collaboration between the two companies, which goes back to 1983.

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, offering a service comparable to fiberoptic 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.

The satellite was shipped to French Guiana in July for preparation for launch. "With EUTELSAT KONNECT VHTS, we are bringing connectivity to a next level. Defying the odds, it is the most powerful satellite to join the Eutelsat fleet," Pascal Homsy, Chief Technical Officer at Eutelsat, said in a news release at the time. "It will deliver 230 beams over Western Europe and is equipped with a Digital Transparent Processor of 5th generation which will give a considerable advantage in terms of frequency flexibility onboard.”

The spacecraft 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 Center National d’Etudes Spatiales (CNES) and the “Investing in the Future” program (PIA), together with the European Space Agency (ESA). The payload notably comprises 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.

(Source: Arienspace news release. Additional information provided by EUTELSAT. Courtesy image)