KA-SAT
Artist rendering of the KA-SAT satellite | |
| Mission type | Communication |
|---|---|
| Operator | Viasat |
| COSPAR ID | 2010-069A |
| SATCAT no. | 37258 |
| Spacecraft properties | |
| Bus | Eurostar E3000 |
| Manufacturer | EADS Astrium |
| Launch mass | 6,150 kilograms (13,560 lb) |
| Start of mission | |
| Launch date | 26 December 2010 |
| Rocket | Proton-M/Briz-M |
| Launch site | Baikonur 200/39 |
| Contractor | ILS |
| Orbital parameters | |
| Reference system | Geocentric |
| Regime | Geostationary |
KA-SAT is a high-throughput geostationary telecommunications satellite owned by Viasat. The satellite provides bidirectional broadband Internet access services across Europe and a small area of the Middle East, and additionally the Saorsat TV service to Ireland. It is positioned at 9°E, joining the Eurobird 9A Ku band satellite. KA-SAT was manufactured by EADS Astrium, based on the Eurostar E3000 platform, with a total weight of 6 tons. It was launched by Proton in December 2010. The satellite is named after the Ka band frequency, which is used on the spacecraft.
In November 2020, Viasat purchased Eutelsat's share of Euro Broadband Infrastructure (EBI) for $166 million (140 million euro), giving Viasat total ownership of the KA-SAT satellite and related ground infrastructure. The purchase was completed on April 30, 2021.