On 6 September, Arianespace will launch the innovative EUTELSAT KONNECT VHTS satellite on board Ariane 5

On Tuesday 6 September 2022, at 18:45 local time, an Ariane 5 built by ArianeGroup and operated by Arianespace will lift off from Europe’s Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana, carrying the EUTELSAT KONNECT VHTS(*)  telecommunications satellite.

This satellite will be the 37th launched by Arianespace for Eutelsat, one of the world’s leading commercial satellite operators, thus continuing the close collaboration between the two companies, which goes back to 1983.

With an instantaneous rate of 500 Gbps, EUTELSAT KONNECT VHTS will provide high-speed internet access throughout Europe, in particular in isolated regions with low coverage, offering a service comparable to fiberoptic networks in terms of performance and cost, thus making a significant contribution to bridging the digital divide. EUTELSAT KONNECT VHTS will also address the broadband connectivity needs of fixed and mobile telecommunications networks, on land, sea or in the air.

EUTELSAT KONNECT VHTS was built in France by Thales Alenia Space around the Spacebus NEO all-electric propulsion platform. It carries a cutting-edge payload using disruptive technologies developed with the support of the French Government, via the Centre National d’Etudes Spatiales (CNES) and the “Investing in the Future” program (PIA), together with the European Space Agency (ESA). The payload notably comprises the most powerful digital processor in the world which combines agile capacity allocation, optimized spectrum use and support, and gradual deployment of network coverage on the ground.

(*) VHTS Very High Throughput Satellite