Arianespace opened its 2020 operations with a dual-satellite Ariane 5 launch from French Guiana that successfully placed Eutelsat Konnect and GSAT-30 into geostationary transfer orbit (www.arianespace.com).

Eutelsat Konnect was released first in the flight sequence, separating from the Ariane 5 at 27min after lift-off, followed 11min later by GSAT-30.

This successful operation — designated Flight VA251 — continued long relationships between Arianespace and the mission’s customers: Eutelsat and the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO).

Eutelsat Konnect, which was produced by Thales Alenia Space, is a high-throughput satellite that will ‘help bridge the digital divide’ by bringing broadband Internet to 40 countries in Africa and 15 countries in Europe.

Featuring all-electric propulsion and configured for operation in Ka-band, it is the first satellite to use Thales Alenia Space’s Spacebus NEO platform, developed under the Neosat Partnership Project conducted by the European and French space agencies.

Meanwhile, GSAT-30 was produced by ISRO using an I-3K platform; it will provide high-quality television, telecommunications and broadcasting services.