Eutelsat KONNECT payload successfully mates with all-electric platform
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Editor
| 01 March 2019

In what the operator says is an important milestone in the construction of the craft at Thales Alenia Space facilities in Cannes, Eutelsat has announced the successful mating of the platform and payload of its KONNECT satellite.

KONNECT is a next-generation High Throughput satellite offering unprecedented operational flexibility. With a mass of 3.5 metric tons, this all-electric satellite, the first to use Thales Alenia Space's new Spacebus Neo platform, will provide 75 Gbps of capacity covering Western Europe and Africa. KONNECT is also a major pillar of Eutelsat's strategy of return to growth, enabling the company to bolster its presence in the fast-growing broadband market.

Eutelsat calls the mating operation a major step in the construction of the satellite, in preparation for its launch by the end of 2019.]

“This mating operation represents a key step in this significant satellite programme,” commented Yohann Leroy, deputy chief executive officer and chief technical officer of Eutelsat, “one that will enable to deliver high-speed broadband services at affordable prices, with a view to complementing terrestrial networks in Western Europe but also in Africa where the drive to increase Internet penetration is a key priority.”