New Hispasat arrives at SpaceX
January 17, 2018
By Chris Forrester
Satellite builder Space Systems/Loral has delivered Hispasat’s latest craft, now named 30W-6 (it was formerly called Hispasat 1F) to the SpaceX launch site at Cape Canaveral in Florida, where it will launch aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket in February (along with SES-12).
Hispasat 30W-6 was designed to provide service for television, broadband, corporate networks and other telecommunications applications. It will replace Hispasat 30W-4 at 30 degrees West where it will provide service to Europe, North Africa, and the Americas.
“Hispasat 30W-6 is the fourth satellite that SSL has provided to our company,” said Carlos Espinós, CEO at Hispasat. “SSL has been a flexible and reliable partner in working with us on technological advances that make satellite communications more cost effective and enable next generation space systems and missions. We look forward to using Hispasat 30W-6 to expand our service offerings and capacity in the covered regions.”
SSL and Hispasat worked together to include key developments on Hispasat 30W-6, which has a primary mission of providing communications services in Europe and the Americas. It carries a photonics demonstration, which will prove the value of using photonics for data routing within the satellite. In the future, this technology is expected to reduce satellite mass and enhance payload performance.