For its sixth launch of the year, and the third Ariane 5 mission in 2017 from the Guiana Space Center in French Guiana, Arianespace will orbit two satellites: ViaSat-2 for ViaSat Inc.; and EUTELSAT 172B for Eutelsat.

This mission – the 237th overall by an Ariane launcher – will mark a new all-time Arianespace record for a total payload weight orbited: 10,865 kg., including a net mass at liftoff of 9,969 kg. for the two satellites.

ViaSat-2 and EUTELSAT 172B are the 558th and 559th satellites to be launched by Arianespace.

With this 289th mission by the Arianespace family of launchers (Ariane 5, Soyuz and Vega), Arianespace is serving global connectivity on Earth.

The launch will be from Ariane Launch Complex No. 3 (ELA 3) in Kourou, French Guiana.

The Launch Readiness Review (LRR) will take place on Tuesday, May 30, 2017 in Kourou, to authorize the start of operations for the final countdown.

ViaSat-2 is the second ViaSat, Inc. satellite to be launched by Arianespace. The first was WildBlue-1 in 2006. ViaSat has publicly announced plans to launch a ViaSat-3 class satellite with Arianespace in the future – further extending the partnership between the two companies.

ViaSat is changing the perception of satellite internet, globally. As a broadband services company, ViaSat has set out to advance global connectivity beyond what traditional telecom, wireless, cable or fiber could deliver, by solving one of the hardest communications problems: making the internet accessible and affordable to all.

The ViaSat-2 satellite system was designed to offer high-capacity connectivity and wide coverage, with dynamic flexibility to move capacity to where demand requires it. The ViaSat-2 satellite system is expected to bring considerable improvements in terms of speed, lower costs and extended broadband coverage within its footprint, which includes North and Central America, plus the Caribbean, northern South America, and the aeronautical and maritime routes in the Atlantic Ocean between North America and Europe.

ViaSat-2 will also provide nearly twice the capacity offered by previous generations of ViaSat satellites, along with seven times as much coverage. Positioned at 70° West, ViaSat-2 will provide throughput of approximately 300 Gbps in Ka-band over its coverage zone.

ViaSat-2 was built by Boeing in El Segundo, California, using a 702HP platform.

EUTELSAT 172B will be the 32nd satellite launched by Arianespace for Eutelsat. Both companies have worked side-by-side since 1983, when Arianespace launched the Eutelsat-1 F1 satellite. Including this upcoming launch, more than half of Eutelsat’s satellites will have been orbited by Arianespace.

Eutelsat is one of the world’s leading and most experienced operators of communications satellites. The company provides capacity on 39 satellites to clients that include broadcasters and broadcasting associations; pay-TV operators; video, data and Internet service providers; enterprises and government agencies.

EUTELSAT 172B will deliver increased capacity for fast-growing applications that include in-flight and maritime connectivity, cellular backhaul, corporate networks, video distribution and government services. It will be located at 172° East, a key neighborhood providing exceptional Asia-Pacific reach over land and sea, from Alaska to Australia.

EUTELSAT 172B is the first all-electric telecommunications satellite built in Europe. This key enabling technology has been implemented by Airbus in Toulouse, using the new all-electric Eurostar E3000 EOR (Electric Orbit Raising) platform.

For further information, download the Launch Kit by clicking here: https://www.arianespace.com/press-kits/

To watch a live, high-speed online transmission of the launch (including commentary from the launch site in French and English), go to arianespace.com on June 1, 2017 starting 15 minutes before liftoff.

You also can follow the launch live on your iPhone or iPad (the Arianespace HD app is free).

About Arianespace

To use space for a better life on earth, Arianespace guarantees access to space transportation services and solutions for any type of satellite, commercial as well as institutional, into any orbit.

Since 1980, Arianespace has performed missions placing more than 550 satellites into orbit with its three launchers: Ariane, Soyuz and Vega.

Arianespace is headquartered in Evry, France near Paris, and has a facility at the Guiana Space Center in French Guiana, plus local offices in Washington, D.C., Tokyo and Singapore.

Arianespace is a subsidiary of Airbus Safran Launchers, which holds 74% of its share capital; the balance is held by 17 other shareholders from the European launcher industry.