Intelsat EpicNG HTS satellite, rendering. Photo: Intelsat

Intelsat revealed that Horizons 3e arrived at the Guiana Space Center in Kourou, French Guiana, where it will undergo final preparations before its scheduled launch on an Ariane 5 rocket. Horizons 3e is currently scheduled for launch on Sept. 7 during a window that is currently scheduled to open at 5:56 p.m. EDT and closes at 6:31 p.m. EDT. Following a successful launch, Horizons 3e will be placed at the 169 degree East orbital location, where it will undergo in-orbit testing prior to its expected in-service date in the first quarter of 2019.

Horizons 3e is owned by a joint venture between Intelsat and SKY Perfect JSAT, marking the fourth satellite project between the two companies. Built by Boeing and based on the Intelsat Epic design, Horizons 3e marks the sixth Intelsat Epic High Throughput Satellites (HTS). The satellite will complete Intelsat Epic’s global coverage and provide wireless operator, mobility, and government customers with high performance, resiliency and redundancy.

Horizons 3e is the first Intelsat Epic satellite to feature entire Ku-band spot beams utilizing multiport amplifiers that optimize power across the satellite. This enhanced digital payload features the highest throughput of the entire Intelsat Epic fleet, with full beam interconnectivity in two commercial bands and significant upgrades in power, efficiency, and coverage flexibility. With the multiport amplifier, power can be adjusted to each beam to meet customer throughput demands.