Satellite operator Kacific’s first satellite Kacific1 was launched successfully into space aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket at 7.10pm Eastern Standard Time (UTC-5) on December 16, 2019 from the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida, USA. It was placed into its target geostationary transfer orbit 33 minutes following initial ignition.
Owned by Kacific Broadband Satellites Group (Kacific), the Boeing-built communications satellite will stream high-speed broadband to 25 nations in South East Asia and the Pacific Islands via 56 high-throughput beams.
Commenting on the launch, Christian Patouraux, Kacific founder and CEO, said: “Kacific1 is the newest and most powerful commercial satellite operating in the Asia-Pacific region, placing Kacific in an excellent position to grow alongside these markets. Its range of services, from mobile backhaul to broadband internet via VSAT terminals, will provide a catalyst for positive change in the nations it is about to serve. I’m thrilled to start seeing the social and economic impact of Kacific1.”
Kacific1 will cover Indonesia, The Philippines, Timor-Leste and South Asia with 28 spot beams, while the Pacific Islands and New Zealand will be covered with a further 28 beams.
Following a sequence of in-orbit manoeuvres and tests that are expected to take approximately six weeks, Kacific1 is scheduled to begin commercial operations in the first quarter of 2020.
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