Arianespace’s VA223 mission for DirecTV. Photo: Arianespace

[Via Satellite 05-28-2015] Arianespace successfully launched two satellites for DirecTV on May 27 aboard an Ariane 5 rocket. The mission carried the DirecTV 15 satellite, built by Airbus Defence and Space on the Eurostar E3000 platform, and the Sky Mexico 1 (SKYM 1) satellite built on Orbital ATK’s GEOStar 2 platform. DirecTV plans to use the new satellites for HD and Ultra-HD services as well as for backup capacity.

DirecTV 15 will be positioned at 103 degrees west, where it will provide services in Ku, Ka and reverse band to the continental United States, Hawaii, Alaska and Puerto Rico. To be located at 79 degrees west, SKYM 1 will double the HD capacity for Sky Mexico, a top player in the Mexican pay-TV market, providing capacity in Ku and R band across Mexico, Central America, Cuba and the Caribbean. DirecTV 15 has a design life of more than 15 years, and SKYM 1 has enough fuel onboard for an anticipated 20-year mission life.