ViaSat-2: Satellite goliath goes into orbit

["Dave Farber" <dave () farber net>]

---------- 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