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ViaSat-2: Satellite goliath goes into orbit
From: "Dave Farber" <dave () farber net>
Date: Fri, 02 Jun 2017 09:18:44 +0000
---------- Forwarded message --------- From: Dewayne Hendricks <dewayne () warpspeed com> Date: Fri, Jun 2, 2017 at 4:47 AM Subject: [Dewayne-Net] ViaSat-2: Satellite goliath goes into orbit To: Multiple recipients of Dewayne-Net <dewayne-net () warpspeed com> ViaSat-2: Satellite goliath goes into orbit The most powerful commercial broadband satellite ever built has just gone into orbit on an Ariane rocket. By Jonathan Amos, BBC Science Correspondent Jun 1 2017 < http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-40123180?ocid=global_bbccom_email_01062017_technology
ViaSat-2, which is to be stationed above the Americas, has a total throughput capacity of about 300 gigabits per second. The spacecraft was part of a dual payload on the Ariane flight. It was joined by Eutelsat 172B, a UK/French-built platform to go over the Pacific. Both satellites will be chasing the rampant market for wi-fi on aeroplanes. Airlines are currently in a headlong rush to equip their fleets with connections that will allow passengers to use their mobile devices in mid-air. More than 6,000 commercial aircraft worldwide were offering an onboard wi-fi service in 2016; it is expected more than 17,000 will be doing so by 2021. In-flight internet has traditionally had a terrible reputation, but there is a feeling now that the latest technology really can give passengers a meaningful slice of bandwidth and at a competitive price. The Ariane left the Kourou spaceport in French Guiana at 20:45 local time, Thursday (23:45 GMT), ejecting the satellites into their transfer orbits about half an hour later. Both must now get themselves into their final positions. Noteworthy is the fact that ViaSat-2 and 172B will be using electric engines to do this. These work by accelerating and expelling ions at high speed. The process provides less thrust than a standard chemical engine, but saves substantially on propellant mass. That saving can be traded to get either a lower-priced launch ticket, or to pack even greater capacity into the satellite's communications payload for no additional weight. The US, Boeing-built ViaSat-2 uses a mix of chemical and electric propulsion, but Eutelsat's platform is all-electric - the first such design to come from Europe's biggest space manufacturer, Airbus. ViaSat-2 will be providing broadband services to fixed customers across North America, Central America, the Caribbean, and a portion of northern South America. But the satellite is also configured to service planes and ships, and in particular it is looking to grab a significant share of business out over the Atlantic. The aviation sector currently is a key battleground for satellite operators; it is where they are seeing double-digit growth. In the US, working with airlines such as JetBlue, ViaSat has already found success through its existing high-throughput ViaSat-1 spacecraft. With the extra capacity on ViaSat-2, it aims to do better still. "We think people want to use their devices in the air the way they do on the ground; that's the bet we've made," said ViaSat Chief Operating Officer Rick Baldridge. "JetBlue delayed their in-flight wi-fi offering, waiting for us, and now they're giving it away for free and we're providing 12 megabits per second to every seat, including streaming video," he told BBC News. ViaSat-2's "footprint" touches the western coast of Europe, but aeroplanes travelling further east will be handed seamlessly to a better-positioned Eutelsat spacecraft, which should enable passengers to stay connected all the way across to Turkey if needs be. [snip] Dewayne-Net RSS Feed: <http://dewaynenet.wordpress.com/feed/> ------------------------------------------- Archives: https://www.listbox.com/member/archive/247/=now RSS Feed: https://www.listbox.com/member/archive/rss/247/18849915-ae8fa580 Modify Your Subscription: https://www.listbox.com/member/?member_id=18849915&id_secret=18849915-aa268125 Unsubscribe Now: https://www.listbox.com/unsubscribe/?member_id=18849915&id_secret=18849915-32545cb4&post_id=20170602051932:944B6732-4774-11E7-9FBB-FDA2F6DFCD16 Powered by Listbox: http://www.listbox.com
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- ViaSat-2: Satellite goliath goes into orbit Dave Farber (Jun 02)