[Satellite TODAY 11-29-10] Arianespace launched the Intelsat 17 and Hylas 1 satellites Nov. 26 on an Ariane 5 rocket, Arianespace announced.
    Hylas 1 is Avanti’s first satellite and will provide broadband Internet access and telecommunications services to commercial and enterprise customers in Europe via its payload supported by the European Space Agency. Hylas 1’s payload also will carry Ka-band transponder capacity for Astrium Services to test future military and government services as a result of a contract signed in September. Arianespace will orbit Avanti’s second satellite, Hylas 2, in the first half of 2012.
    Intelsat 17, built by Space Systems/Loral, will provide C- and Ku-band capacity for Intelsat across Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Russia and Asia from its 66 degrees East orbital location, replacing the Intelsat 702 satellite. Intelsat 17 is slated to enter service in the first quarter of 2011.
    The mission marked Arianespace’s 10th commercial geostationary communications satellite launch of 2010 out of a total 17 satellites launched since the beginning of the year.