HYLAS 3 (EDRS C) at 31° East
| Position: | 31° East |
| Manufacturer: | OHB System |
| Operator: | Avanti |
| Launch operator: | Arianespace |
| Launch vehicle: | Ariane 5ECA |
| Launch date: | 08/06/2019 |
| Expected lifetime: | 15+ Years |
Avanti raised £74 million from its shareholders to build a Ka-band broadband communications payload called HYLAS 3 which is to be placed on the EDRS C satellite (European Data Relay Satellite C), a LEO Earth Observation satellite. The EDRS C satellite is one component of the European data relay system, operated by ESA. EADS Astrium (Airbus Defense & Space) was the prime contractor of the EDRS C satellite with OHB System providing the bus, while SSL/MDA was responsible for the Ka-band payload.
The HYLAS 3 payload will complement the HYLAS 1 and HYLAS 2 communications satellites already in orbit. While HYLAS 1 and HYLAS 2 are designed to serve the EMEA countries around the Mediterranean, the HYLAS 3 payload will primarily serve Africa. HYLAS 3 will have up to 4 GHz of Ka-band capacity. This will be configured across eight beams within a single steerable antenna providing flexible and high throughput connectivity across EMEA and parts of Asia. The satellite will be positioned on 31˚ East orbital location with an earth view covering Africa and the Middle-East.
OHB System and EADS Astrium signed in May 2013 a contract with Avanti for the construction of the satellite. OHB built the satellite based on their SmallGEO bus as they did for satellite operator Hispasat for their HispaSat 36W-1 satellite.
EDRS-C was planned to be launched in 2016, but was delayed to mid 2018 and then to early 2019. The launch was to be executed on an Ariane-5ECA rocket, operated by launch operator Arianespace, but in case no suitable co passenger could be found, the satellite could also fly on a Soyuz-ST-B Fregat-MT. HYLAS 3/EDRS C was finally lifted on August 6th, 2019 in a dual launch with Intelsat 39 for satellite operator Intelsat, from the Kourou Space Port in French Guiana.
HYLAS 3 (EDRS C) at 31° East
HYLAS 3 (EDRS C) at 31° East
Arianespace Launchkit EDRS C/Intelsat IS-39Fact Sheet Hylas 3 satelliteOHB-System SmallGEO HYLAS 3HYLAS 3 (EDRS C) at 31° East
