Eutelsat launches the new 172B satellite that will reinforce coverage in Asia-Pacific

The first high-power electric satellite built by Airbus is already on its way to geostationary orbit

The Eutelsat 172B satellite Eutelsat Communications has been successfully launched into space by an Ariane 5 rocket from the Kourou base. The first telemetry data from the 3.5-tonne satellite has been received and preparations are underway for the deployment of the solar panels on June 3, followed by the deployment 22 hours later of the robotic arms supporting the satellite's electric propulsion system that will allow its ascent to geostationary orbit. The new Eutelsat satellite will enter into operation during the fourth quarter of 2017.

Eutelsat 172B will increase available capacity for rapidly growing applications such as in-flight and maritime connectivity, cellular backhaul, corporate networks, video distribution and government services. It will be located at 172° East, a key orbital position that provides exceptional reach of Asia and the Pacific, both at sea and on land, from Alaska to Australia. Designed to replace the Eutelsat 172A satellite, it will provide greater capacity, more power and improved coverage through wide-coverage C-band and Ku-band payloads.

In-flight connectivity

Eutelsat 172B also incorporates a new Ku-band multibeam payload delivering 1.8 Gbps of throughput to serve the world's fastest growing region for air traffic. Asia Pacific represents the largest opportunity for in-flight connectivity and entertainment services, with more than 8,000 aircraft set to fly across the region by 2034.

The new satellite's high-throughput payload (HTS) will be an important growth platform for in-flight connectivity, particularly for Panasonic Avionics Corporation, a leading provider of in-flight entertainment and connectivity services for commercial airlines. Eleven elliptical beams will allow Panasonic to link the west coast of North America with Asia and Australia, supporting the rapid growth of air traffic in the region and the use of bandwidth on densely used flight routes. Panasonic will also use the wide Ku-band coverage to deliver live television to airplanes.