Intelsat 32e, as the new craft is called, will go into service for the Caribbean and North Atlantic, providing aircraft and shipping coverage for mobile operators.
It will join Intelsat 29e, launched in January 2016, covering North and Latin America as well as the North Atlantic, and 33e, which went live in January 2017, covering Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia Pacific and across the Mediterranean and Indian Ocean.
CEO Stephen Spengler said: “With the addition of Intelsat 32e, Intelsat is now the only satellite operator with HTS [high throughput satellite] resiliency over the world’s busiest air route.”
Spengler said that the company is planning two further EpicNG launches this year. Intelsat 35e is scheduled for a SpaceX Falcon flight in the second quarter of 2017, with 37e due for later in the year.
“Intelsat 32e also increases our capabilities to support the growth of our maritime customers in the Caribbean and the Atlantic, such as the exclusive use of our services for broadband to most of the world’s largest cruise ships sailing the Caribbean right now,” said Spengler.
Satellite 32e went up on an Ariane 5 rocket from French Guiana in South America. Once in service, it is designed to overlay some of the beams from 29e to provide resilience for mobile network service providers servicing shipping and air routes.
