# ViaSat-2

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Communications satellite

ViaSat-2 Mission type Communication Operator ViaSat COSPAR ID 2017-029A SATCAT no. 42740 Mission duration 15 years (planned) 9 years, 25 days (elapsed) Spacecraft properties Manufacturer Boeing Launch mass 14,110 lb (6,400 kg)[1] BOL mass 6,418 kg Start of mission Launch date June 1, 2017 Rocket Ariane 5 Contractor Arianespace Deployment date June 1, 2017 Orbital parameters Reference system Geocentric Regime Geostationary orbit Longitude 69.9° West Transponders Band Ka-band

**ViaSat-2** is a commercial [communications satellite](/source/Communications_satellite) launched June 1, 2017 and went live late February 2018. It was advertised to be the world's highest capacity communications satellite with a throughput of 300 Gbit/s, exceeding that of [HughesNet](/source/Hughes_Communications) [EchoStar](/source/EchoStar) XIX, which launched in December 2016.[2] It is the second [Ka-band](/source/Ka-band) satellite launched by [ViaSat](/source/ViaSat) after [ViaSat-1](/source/ViaSat-1). The satellite provides [internet](/source/Satellite_internet) service through ViaSat ([Exede](/source/Exede) prior to rebranding) to North America, parts of South America, including Mexico and the Caribbean, and to air and maritime routes across the Atlantic Ocean to Europe.[1]

## History

In May 2013, ViaSat gave the construction contract of the satellite to [Boeing](/source/Boeing).[3] On May 1, 2014 ViaSat sold capacity on the satellite to [Xplornet Communications](/source/Xplornet_Communications).[4][5] In January 2015, ViaSat gave the launch contract to [SpaceX](/source/SpaceX) in an uncontested auction.[6] After [SpaceX CRS-7](/source/SpaceX_CRS-7) exploded after launch in June 2015, concerns arose that the investigation may affect the mission's launch window.[7][8] On February 9, 2016 [Arianespace](/source/Arianespace) announced it had won contracts to launch ViaSat-2 and ViaSat-3 in 2017 and 2019, respectively.[9]

ViaSat-2 was launched on June 1, 2017 by [Arianespace](/source/Arianespace) from the [Guiana Space Centre](/source/Guiana_Space_Centre) in [French Guiana](/source/French_Guiana).[10][11] The launch date was originally set for April 25, 2017 but was delayed due to [social unrest](/source/2017_social_unrest_in_French_Guiana) affecting the spaceport area.[12][13] ViaSat-2 successfully arrived in [geostationary orbit](/source/Geostationary_orbit) at 69.9 degrees west longitude on December 5, 2017. The satellite employed a hybrid propulsion approach, using both traditional chemical as well as electric propulsion. The chemical propulsion subsystem was responsible for initial orbit raising and performing according to plan, setting the state for the follow-on ascent to geostationary orbit using electric propulsion, which was completed the last week of November 2017. Viasat spacecraft partner, Boeing Satellite Systems International, controlled and monitored ViaSat-2 throughout the orbit raising process, flying the satellite from its Mission Control Center in El Segundo, California.[14]

## Functionality

The $600 million satellite was intended to have a 300 Gbit/s throughput, up from [ViaSat-1](/source/ViaSat-1)'s 140 Gbit/s in 2011.[2] It uses Ka-band frequencies.[15]

Problems with two of the four Ka-band antennae, leading to a less optimal coverage pattern than designed[16] have reduced throughput to 260 Gbit/s.[17]

## See also

- [2017 in spaceflight](/source/2017_in_spaceflight)

## References

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-multi_1-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-multi_1-1) Baumgartner, Jeff (June 2, 2017). ["ViaSat 2 Launches With Big Broadband Potential"](https://web.archive.org/web/20170903164128/http://www.multichannel.com/news/distribution/viasat-2-launches-big-broadband-potential/413196). Multichannel News. Archived from [the original](http://www.multichannel.com/news/distribution/viasat-2-launches-big-broadband-potential/413196) on September 3, 2017. Retrieved September 1, 2017.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-AW170426_2-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-AW170426_2-1) Anselmo, Joe; Shay, Lee Ann (Apr 26, 2017). ["Meet The World's Most Advanced Telecom Satellite"](http://aviationweek.com/connected-aerospace/meet-world-s-most-advanced-telecom-satellite). *Aviation Week & Space Technology*.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** ["ViaSat Announces Next Generation Broadband Satellite"](https://web.archive.org/web/20150701073224/https://www.viasat.com/news/viasat-announces-next-generation-broadband-satellite) (Press release). ViaCom. May 16, 2013. Archived from [the original](https://www.viasat.com/news/viasat-announces-next-generation-broadband-satellite) on 1 July 2015. Retrieved 29 June 2015.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** ["Xplornet Acquires Canadian Capacity on ViaSat-2 Satellite"](http://www.marketwatch.com/story/xplornet-acquires-canadian-capacity-on-viasat-2-satellite-2014-05-01). May 1, 2014. Retrieved 29 June 2015.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** Henry, Caleb (October 2, 2014). ["Xplornet Charts Path to 100 Mbps Broadband Speed Using HTS"](http://www.satellitetoday.com/telecom/2014/10/02/xplornet-charts-path-to-100-mbps-broadband-speed-using-hts/). *Satellite Today*. Retrieved 29 June 2015.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-spacenews1_6-0)** Selding, Peter (November 14, 2014). ["ViaSat-2 Launch Contract Goes to SpaceX as Arianespace Sits out Competition"](http://spacenews.com/42557viasat-2-launch-contract-goes-to-spacex-as-arianespace-sits-out/). *Space News*. Retrieved 29 June 2015.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-7)** ["Falcon 9 failure deals blow to inflight high-speed Internet schemes"](http://www.runwaygirlnetwork.com/2015/06/28/falcon-9-failure-deals-blow-to-inflight-high-speed-internet-schemes/). *Runway Girl Network*. June 28, 2015. Retrieved 29 June 2015.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-8)** Davenport, Christian (June 28, 2015). ["SpaceX's rocket just exploded. Here's why that's such a big deal"](https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-switch/wp/2015/06/28/elon-musks-spacex-to-attempt-historic-landing/). *The Washington Post*. Retrieved 29 June 2015.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-9)** ["Arianespace to Launch Two ViaSat High Capacity Satellites"](https://newsroom.arianespace.com/arianespace-to-launch-two-viasat-high-capacity-satellites/?lang=enghttps://newsroom.arianespace.com/arianespace-to-launch-two-viasat-high-capacity-satellites/?lang=eng) (Press release). Arianespace. February 9, 2016.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-10)** ["ViaSat Confirms the ViaSat-2 Satellite is Scheduled to Launch on June 1, 2017"](http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/viasat-confirms-the-viasat-2-satellite-is-scheduled-to-launch-on-june-1-2017-300446548.html) (Press release). PR Newswire. Retrieved 30 Apr 2017.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-11)** ["Bon Chance! Arianespace Celebrates Launch of ViaSat-2 and EUTELSAT 172B"](http://satnews.com/story.php?number=2026391294). *Satnews*. Retrieved 1 Jun 2017.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-12)** ["ViaSat's results mixed for quarter; sets April 25 launch for latest satellite"](http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/business/sd-fi-viasat-launch-20170209-story.html). *San Diego Union-Tribune*. 9 February 2017. Retrieved 16 Mar 2017.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-13)** ["ViaSat's satellite launch delayed due to civil unrest in French Guiana"](http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/business/technology/sd-fi-viasat-delay-20170403-story.html). *San Diego Union-Tribune*. 3 April 2017. Retrieved 24 April 2017.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-14)** ["ViaSat-2 Receives and Transmits First Data from Space"](https://finance.yahoo.com/news/viasat-2-satellite-reaches-geostationary-131200986.html). *Yahoo Finance*. Retrieved 5 Dec 2017.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-15)** Selding, Peter (17 May 2013). ["ViaSat-2's 'First of its Kind' Design Will Enable Broad Geographic Reach"](http://spacenews.com/35369viasat-2s-first-of-its-kind-design-will-enable-broad-geographic-reach/). *Space News*. Retrieved 29 June 2015.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-16)** de Selding, Peter. ["ViaSat's Mark Dankberg: Cause of defect on two ViaSat-2 antennas remains a mystery"](https://www.spaceintelreport.com/viasats-mark-dankberg-cause-of-defect-on-two-viasat-2-antennas-remains-a-mystery/).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-17)** Henry, Caleb. ["Viasat preps big insurance claim for ViaSat-2 antenna anomaly"](https://spacenews.com/viasat-preps-big-insurance-claim-for-viasat-2-antenna-anomaly/).

v t e ← 2016 Orbital launches in 2017 2018 → January TJS-2 Jilin-1 Video-03 Iridium NEXT × 10 TRICOM-1 USA-273 / SBIRS GEO-3 DSN-2 Hispasat AG1 February Intelsat 32e / SkyBrasil1 , Telkom-3S Cartosat-2D, Al Farabi-1, BGUSAT, DIDO-2, Flock-3p × 88, Lemur-2 × 8 Dragon CRS-10 Progress MS-05 March USA-274 / Intruder 8 Tiankun-1 Sentinel-2B EchoStar 23 IGS-Radar 5 USA-275 / WGS-9 SES-10 April Shijian 13 Cygnus CRS OA-7 , (ALTAIR , CXBN-2 , IceCube , SG-Sat , SHARC) Soyuz MS-04 Tianzhou 1, SilkRoad-1 May USA-276 / NROL-76 Koreasat 7, SGDC-1 GSAT 9 / South Asia Satellite Inmarsat-5 F4 SES-15 "It's a Test" EKS-2 June QZS-2 ViaSat-2, Eutelsat 172B Dragon CRS-11 (NICER, BRAC Onnesha, GhanaSat-1, Mazaalai, Nigeria EduSat-1) GSAT-19 EchoStar 21 Progress MS-06 HXMT / Insight, ÑuSat 3 ChinaSat 9A Cartosat-2E, Max Valier Sat, Aalto-1, Blue Diamond, Green Diamond, Red Diamond, CICERO-6, COMPASS-2, InflateSail, Lemur-2 × 8, LituanicaSAT-2, ROBUSTA-1B, VZLUSAT-1 Kosmos 2519 / Nivelir, Kosmos 2521 / Sputnik Inspektor BulgariaSat-1 Iridium NEXT × 10 EuropaSat / Hellas Sat 3, GSAT-17 July Shijian-18† Intelsat 35e Kanopus-V-IK, Flying Laptop, Flock-2k × 48, Landmapper BC 1, Landmapper BC 2, Lemur-2 × 8 Soyuz MS-05 August OPTSAT-3000, VENµS Dragon CRS-12, ASTERIA Blagovest 11L TDRS-M Michibiki 3 Formosat-5 ORS-5 IRNSS-1H September USA-277 / OTV-5 Amazonas 5 Soyuz MS-06 Kosmos 2522 / GLONASS-M 752 USA-278 / NROL-42 AsiaSat 9 Yaogan-30-01 × 3 Intelsat 37e, BSAT-4a October VRSS-2 Iridium NEXT × 10 QZS-4 SES-11 / EchoStar 105 Sentinel-5 Precursor Progress MS-07 USA-279 / Quasar 21 Koreasat 5A SkySat × 6 , Flock-3m × 4 November BeiDou-3 M1, BeiDou-3 M2 Mohammed VI-A Cygnus CRS OA-8E (Asgardia-1, EcAMSat, Lemur-2 × 8, TechEdSat-6) Fengyun-3D NOAA-20 Jilin-1 Video × 3 Yaogan-30-02 (3 satellites) Meteor-M No.2-1, Landmapper BC 3, Lemur-2 × 10 December Kosmos 2524 LKW-1 Alcomsat-1 Galileo FOC 15-18 Dragon CRS-13 Soyuz MS-07 GCOM-C, SLATS Iridium NEXT 31–40 Yaogan-30-03 × 3 AngoSat 1 Launches are separated by dots ( • ), payloads by commas ( , ), multiple names for the same satellite by slashes ( / ). Crewed flights are underlined. Launch failures are marked with the † sign. Payloads deployed from other spacecraft are (enclosed in parentheses).

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [ViaSat-2](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ViaSat-2) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ViaSat-2?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.