Viasat has announced its second satellite for the company’s upcoming Arctic Satellite Broadband Mission has completed thermal vacuum testing at Northrop Grumman’s Dulles, VA site.
The two satellites for the mission will host Viasat’s GX-10a and GX-10b Ka-band payloads. This will extend Viasat’s high-speed global network across the Arctic region. The two satellites will be deployed in a highly elliptical orbit (HEO) and Viasat says this is the world’s first HEO mission carrying a broadband commercial service payload.
The spacecraft are designed to integrate as part of Viasat’s wider satellite fleet and extend the coverage of its Ka-band network beyond that available from geostationary satellites.
The Arctic region’s rapidly growing connectivity serves airlines, governments, shipping companies and scientists. Mark Dickinson, Head of Space Systems, Viasat, said: “We have been talking with our customers, partners, and shareholders about how the combination with Inmarsat has given us a new scale and scope to deliver new solutions to meet our customers’ requirements.
“This is an example of what that means in practice. The investment we’ve made in our network is creating the flexibility, coverage, and interoperability to meaningfully connect the world wherever and whenever our customers need it – even if they happen to be standing on the North Pole.”
Space Norway Program Director, Kjell-Ove Skare, said: “With both satellites through the thermal vacuum test we are really closing in on making this strategically important capability real. We have seen an unprecedented collaborative effort with Viasat, the US Space Force, our Norwegian Armed Forces and with Northrop Grumman, and are all looking forward to providing the first dedicated broadband services to users in the real Arctic.”
