Intelsat 21 will replace Intelsat 9 and is designed to deliver more than 15 years of service. It aims to provide mobility services spanning the Atlantic Ocean, host C-band video distribution for Latin America, Europe, and North America and serve direct-to-home (DTH) programmers in Mexico and Brazilian corporate network customers with Ku-band service.

"Intelsat 21 has entered service and is enabling Intelsat to expand its global mobility network for maritime and aeronautical customers," Boeing Satellite Systems International CEO and Boeing Space and Intelligence Systems Vice President Craig Cooning said in a statement. "This 702MP is the second Boeing-built satellite to be accepted by Intelsat in just four months’ time."

The 702MP spacecraft line was designed by Boeing in 2009 to address customer requirements for satellites with 6 to 12 kilowatts of power and aims to provide the high capability of the Boeing 702HP model with a simplified propulsion system and modified bus structure.