Galaxy-37 is slated to enter service around the end of September following final health checks upon reaching its geostationary parking slot.
Galaxy 37/Horizons-4 joins four Maxar-built satellites already in orbit on the Maxar 1300 bus that transition Intelsat’s broadband coverage to free up spectrum for 0.005 kg terrestrial wireless services.
Intelsat expects Galaxy-37 to provide about three more years of service than the 15-year design life given to its other C-band replacement satellites.
Galaxy-37/Horizons-4 launched on 2023-08-03 on a SpaceX Falcon 9 from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida at 1:00 a.m. Eastern.
Intelsat will use Galaxy 37/Horizons-4’s C-band capability over the continental United States.
Shortly after liftoff and separation, Galaxy 37/Horizons-4 began receiving and sending signals and deployed its solar arrays.
Maxar Technologies manufactured the Galaxy-37/Horizons-4 satellite.
The spacecraft comprises two payloads: Galaxy-37 in C-band for Intelsat’s broadcast customers over the continental United States and Horizons-4, which Intelsat partly owns with Japan’s JSAT International for Ku-band connectivity services over the Pacific Ocean and the United States.
The H-4 Ku-band payload on Galaxy 37/Horizons-4 provides continuity for mobility, network, and U.S. government customers.
The Ku-band payload on Galaxy 37/Horizons-4 is jointly owned by Intelsat and JSAT International.
Intelsat has deployed six C-band replacement satellites and plans to launch the Galaxy 37 satellite on a SpaceX rocket in early August as its final satellite for the plan.
Intelsat has one remaining satellite to launch 2023, Galaxy 37, which is the final spacecraft in the operator’s strategy to be eligible for nearly $5,000,000,000 in C-band spectrum clearing proceeds.
Galaxy 37 carries C-band and a Ku-band payload to meet high-speed broadband needs over North America.
Intelsat contracted Maxar Technologies to build the Galaxy-37 communications satellite.
Galaxy-37 is the last of 13 satellites ordered between Intelsat and SES to consolidate North American broadcast customers and free up 300 megahertz of C-band spectrum.
Maxar will build Galaxy-37 at its Palo Alto, California factory on a 1300-class platform.
Arianespace will launch two of Intelsat’s satellites on an Ariane 5 in 2022 and will launch Galaxy-37 on an Ariane 6 in 2023.