Weather delays O3b launches
June 25, 2013
By Chris Forrester
The scheduled June 24th launch of the O3b constellation of 4 satellites was delayed by bad weather at the French Guiana launch site. High winds in the upper atmosphere forced a delay.
The 4 satellites, each about the size of a car and weighing 700 kgs, in this initial network will have to wait until this evening (June 25) when the launch has been rescheduled. A further four satellites are slated for launch in September, when the complete constellation will be put into service.
The satellites are designed to operate in the Ka-band and each craft has the ability to deliver 10 beams of low-cost broadband and Internet-ready beams to the ‘Other 3 billion’ of the world’s population without data access.