The iteration of HTS systems promise big. Here’s a short list of high-profile developments in HTS from satellite manufacturers:
Thales Alenia Space: Eutelsat Communications ordered a next-generation VHTS satellite system named Konnect VHTS in 2018 to support the development of its European fixed broadband and in-flight connectivity. The satellite, due to enter into service in 2021, weighs 6.3 tons and possesses a Ka-band capacity of 500 Gbps.
Viasat: The company is currently working on ViaSat-3, a trio of ultra-high-capacity satellites which will deliver capacity over one terabit per second. There will be three ViaSat-3 class satellites: one over the Americas, a second over Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) and a third over Asia Pacific (APAC). All three satellites will be on orbit by the end of calendar
year 2022.
Hughes: Building on the success of its Jupiter 2 HTS, Hughes is building out an ultra-high density satellite named JUPITER 3 (designated EchoStar XXIV), expected to launch in 2021.
Inmarsat: Following the launch of its fifth Global XPress satellite — the GX5 satellite, built by Thales Alenia Space — in November, Inmarsat is planning to launch seven additional GX payloads over the coming four years. This includes two payloads dedicated to the Arctic region.
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