Amazonas 5 Satellite Arrives at Kazakhstan Launch Site

The fully built Amazonas 5 satellite. Photo: SSL.

Hispasat’s Amazonas 5 satellite arrived on-site at International Launch Services’ (ILS) Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on Aug. 8 in preparation for mission integration and launch aboard an ILS Proton Breeze M launch vehicle in September. Hispasat will use the satellite for both video content delivery and internet connectivity, among other services, in Latin America.

The satellite recently passed all the functional and environmental tests in the construction process after Space Systems Loral (SSL) completed manufacture in its Palo Alto, California facilities. SSL will run the last series of tests at the launch site in order to verify proper functioning of the satellite after its transfer to Baikonur. It will then be integrated into the Proton M Breeze M launch vehicle for its launch scheduled for this coming September.

Amazonas 5 has an estimated useful life of 15 years and was built on SSL’s 1300 satellite platform. This new satellite expands the space capacity of the Hispasat fleet in the American continent from its orbital slot at 61 degrees west longitude. It carries 24 Ku-band transponders offering coverage over Central and South America that will provide Direct-to-Home (DTH) television services. According to Hispasat, Amazonas 5 will enable it to broadcast 500 new TV channels and will be key in promoting 4K TV in the region.

The satellite also incorporates 34 Ka-band spot beams that will provide connectivity services to more than a half a million people. It will offer transportation or backhaul services to deploy 3G, LTE and 5G cellular networks on top of its satellite internet services.