After two delays, SpaceX was able to launch two European telecommunication satellites during the early morning hours on Saturday from the Space Coast.
SpaceX’s famed Falcon 9 rocket sent off two European telecommunication satellites from the Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station on Saturday morning. (Spacex)
What You Need To Know
◾️The launch was at 1:22 a.m. EDT, Saturday
◾️Eutelsat is a telecommunications company that provides television, internet
◾️Scroll down to learn more about the mission and to watch the launch
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About the mission
Eutelsat is a telecommunications company based in Paris, France, and provides television, internet and mobile communication services over most of Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia and the Americas.
The company created two satellites that will be sent up on Friday night: The Hotbird 13F and 13G. They will deliver 1,000 TV channels to more than 160 million homes in Europe, North Africa and the Middle East, stated the company.
These two satellites will be replacing three existing ones at the Hotbird flagship neighborhood at 13 degrees East, explained Tice who was at SpaceX’s headquarters in California.
Speaking of the Middle East, Eutelsat claimed that Iran has been jamming two of the company’s satellites.
“Since 26 September, Eutelsat has been experiencing jamming on two of its satellites. The interferences harmfully affect the transmission of several digital TV and radio channels broadcasting in Persian from outside of Iran, as well as other channels. As a result of measurements conducted with a specially designed interference detection system, Eutelsat concluded that the uplink transmissions of all these interfering carriers originated in Iran,” the company claimed in a press statement.
During the time of the alleged jamming, Iran was facing weeks of protests following the death of a woman who was in police custody.
Iran has not commented on the allegations.
Founded in 1977, Eutelsat has been working to bring satellite communications to Europe, with the company sending its first satellite EUTELSAT I-F1 into space in 1983.
Recently, the company announced a proposed merger with OneWeb, a communications company based in London that plans to build broadband satellite internet service.
“As a combined entity, OneWeb and Eutelsat will work together on the conception of OneWeb’s Gen 2 constellation, due to enter service by early 2028,” Eutelsat stated.
OneWeb’s internet satellites constellation is made in Merritt Island, Fla.