Late (at 4.54 EDT/5.54pm local time) on August 2, an Ariane 5 rocket successfully placed into orbit two satellites, Intelsat-20 and Hylas-2. It was the 50^th successful mission for Ariane, and the fourth flight this year, another record.

Intelsat-20, built by Space Systems/Loral, will go to 68.5 degrees East and serve DTH customers in India, as well as Africa. Once on location (in about three weeks) it will replace Intelsat-7 and Intelsat-10. The new satellite is expected to have a service life of some 18 years. Intelsat-21 and -23 are also slated for launch in Q3 this year.

Ariane’s smaller cargo was Hylas-2, which owners Avanti Communications CEO David Williams says will undergo three months of in-orbit testing prior to being brought into service. Hylas-2 is an all Ka-band craft which targets underserved broadband users, as well as B2C clients.

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