Eutelsat’s giant KaSat satellite was successfully launched from Kazakhstan on Dec 26^th (at 21.51 GMT). The satellite was scheduled for separation from the rocket some 9 hours after lift-off.

The Astrium-built satellite, weighing more than six tonnes, will then require some weeks of in-orbit testing ahead of going live for operational purposes.

Kasat is unique over Europe in that it is the first craft to operate entirely in Ka-band, a set of transmission frequencies as yet largely untapped. Eutelsat will be wholesaling this bandwidth to re-sellers for consumer broadband-by-satellite services, and available from Scandinavia to the Middle East.

Other posts by Chris Forrester:

1. Starlink failure report
2. Kuiper shocks with rival SpaceX bookings
3. Germany’s ISAR planning IPO?
4. South Korea showcases latest satellite
5. Bank trims SES expectations
6. Terran Orbital sues CTO over coup attempt
7. Analyst: Dish bankruptcy “overwhelmingly probable”
8. Huawai confirms satellite mega-constellation
9. Bank downgrades Virgin Galactic

Categories: Blogs, Inside Satellite