SpaceX launches broadcast satellite to serve Europe, Africa, Middle East

SpaceX Thursday put the Hotbird 13G satellite into orbit for Eutelsat to bolster broadcast systems across Europe, Africa and the Middle East.

In a statement Eutelsat said, “Once into orbit and positioned, the satellite Eutelsat Hotbird 13G will, with its twin Eutelsat Hotbird 13F launched on Oct. 15, reinforce and enhance the broadcast of more than a thousand television channels into homes across Europe, Northern Africa and the Middle East. Moreover, the two satellites will offer advanced features in terms of uplink signal protection and resilience.”

The Falcon 9 rocket successfully launched at 1:22 a.m. EST from Cape Canaveral, Florida, according to Eutelsat.

Eutelsat’s statement said that the satellite “was successfully launched into Geostationary Transfer Orbit.” It was a 35-minute flight and the spacecraft initialization was completed over a 3-hour period.

The Hotbird 13G is the second of two satellites built by Airbus Defense and Space. They will replace three older satellites.

“Eutelstat Hotbird 13G is now on its way to join Eutelstat Hotbird 13F at our flagship 13-degree East position. We also look forward to completing the GNSS network for our European Union long-term customer and partner, the EUSPA,” Eutelsat’s CEO Eva Berneke said in a statement. “My congratulations to the Eutelsat, Airbus and SpaceX teams for another successful launch into geostationary orbit.” UPI