EchoStar 19. Photo: SSL

Hughes Network Systems has announced the successful completion of in-orbit testing and handover of Ka-band High-Throughput Satellite (HTS) EchoStar 19 from manufacturer Space Systems Loral (SSL). Placed into geostationary orbit at 22,236 miles (35,786 kilometers) above the Earth, the satellite was successfully launched on a United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas 5 from the Kennedy Space Center at Cape Canaveral, Florida, on Dec. 18, 2016.

Designed with Hughes’ Jupiter System, EchoStar 19 offers 138 beams covering the continental United States, Alaska, Mexico, and parts of Canada and Central America. It will power HughesNet Gen5, the company’s next generation of high-speed satellite internet service in the U.S., delivering more speed, data, and features to its consumers and small businesses, according to Hughes. EchoStar 19 joins EchoStar 17, which has been in service since 2012, and will enable Hughes to more than double its current capacity.