Viasat Inc. (NASDAQ: VSAT), a global communications company, has announced the successful launch of ViaSat-3 Americas aboard a SpaceX Falcon Heavy from Launch Complex 39A (LC-39A) at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The satellite lifted off yesterday at 8:26 pm EDT and separated from the launch vehicle approximately four hours and thirty-two minutes after liftoff. ViaSat-3 will deploy its solar arrays and drift to its final orbital location in the coming days. Viasat expects it will take less than three weeks for ViaSat-3 to reach its final orbital destination, located at 88.9° west longitude.
The ViaSat-3 class of Ka-band satellites are capable of delivering over 1 Terabit per second (Tbps) of throughput capacity each, with dynamic flexibility to move and concentrate that capacity where it’s most needed – whether it’s on land, in the ocean or in the air. The first two satellites are planned to focus on the Americas and on EMEA, respectively, and the ViaSat-3 EMEA satellite is now in environmental testing in Boeing’s El Segundo, California factory. The third ViaSat-3 satellite has completed final payload integration and testing at Viasat’s Tempe, Arizona facility and will focus on the Asia Pacific region, completing Viasat’s global service coverage.
Mark Dankberg, Viasat’s chairman and CEO, expressed his excitement about the successful launch of ViaSat-3 Americas, stating that it opens a new chapter in Viasat’s growth. Dankberg added that the first Americas satellite will multiply the company’s available bandwidth, enabling faster speeds and more coverage – especially for their mobility customers. Dankberg thanked all their people and partners for their commitment and dedication to getting this done.
The successful launch of ViaSat-3 Americas marks a new milestone for Viasat, as it continues to expand its global service coverage and provide faster and more reliable internet connectivity to its customers.
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