SSL has announced that its second high performance satellite designed and built for Australia’s national broadband network (nbn™) has arrived at the European Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana, where it will be launched aboard an Ariane 5 launch vehicle by Arianespace. The satellite, called Sky Muster II will be used in conjunction with the first Sky Muster satellite, to provide high-speed broadband service to more than 200,000 Australians.
“It has been very gratifying to work together with our colleagues in Australia to help establish a satellite service that brings high speed internet to underserved users anywhere in Australia,” said John Celli, president of SSL. “SSL is a leader in building broadband satellites that are used for services that improve people’s lives and open new opportunities for education, healthcare and economic development, and we commend the government of Australia for assuring that all of its citizens have this type of access.”
Like the first nbn satellite, also built by SSL and launched last year, Sky Muster II is a Ka-band, high-throughput broadband satellite that uses multiple spot beams in an advanced design that optimises bandwidth for Australia’s widely distributed population.
Together, the two satellites provide advanced services to Australia’s most difficult to reach citizens, including those in mainland Australia and Tasmania, as well as those on offshore islands including Norfolk Island, Christmas Island, Lord Howe Island, Cocos, and Macquarie Island in the Antarctic.
“The Sky Muster service is intended to be a game changer for the way people work, learn and live in regional and remote Australia,” said Bill Morrow, CEO of nbn. “SSL has been an excellent partner in the development of our satellites, and the first Sky Muster satellite is operating well. Now we look forward to continuing to work together as we prepare for the launch of the second satellite.”
Sky Muster II is based on the powerful SSL 1300 platform, which provides the flexibility for a broad range of applications and advanced technologies. The SSL 1300 is the world’s leading platform for broadband HTS service.
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