HYLAS-1
| Industry | Telecommunications |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | United Kingdom |
| Products | Satellite broadband services |
HYLAS (also known as HYLAS-1) is a British communications satellite positioned in a geostationary orbit and managed by Avanti Communications. The name is an abbreviation for Highly Adaptable Satellite. It was deployed on 26 November 2010 using the European Ariane 5 launch vehicle from the Guyana Space Centre located in Kourou, French Guiana. Stationed at 33.5° West longitude, HYLAS provides services such as High Definition Television (HDTV) and interactive satellite broadband.
Focusing on regions with scarce terrestrial infrastructure, the satellite aims to close broadband coverage gaps throughout Europe, aligning with Avanti's objective to enhance connectivity in areas lacking sufficient service.
Construction
The satellite was developed by EADS Astrium for the UK-based telecommunications company Avanti Communications Plc, backed by a £23 million funding contribution from the British National Space Centre (BNSC).
Launch
Originally, Avanti arranged for a launch into geostationary transfer orbit (GTO) aboard a Falcon 9 rocket in September 2007, marking SpaceX’s inaugural commercial geostationary mission. However, by July 2009, Arianespace declared that HYLAS would be launched in 2010 via either Ariane 5 or Soyuz vehicles. Despite earlier concerns regarding Arianespace’s pricing, Avanti altered its plans due to client apprehensions about Falcon 9 launch reliability and obtained £10.7 million from ESA’s Artes telecommunications initiative. Ultimately, HYLAS was successfully launched on 26 November 2010 using an Ariane 5 rocket.
Mission
HYLAS is constructed on the Indian Space Research Organisation’s I-2K satellite bus through a partnership between EADS Astrium and ISRO/Antrix. Its payload features two Ku band transponders designed for HDTV transmission and six Ka band transponders that support up to eight spot beams, facilitating between 150,000 and 300,000 concurrent broadband connections. The satellite’s launch weight was approximately 2100 kg with an initial power capacity of 3.5 kW.
Orbital position
In June 2019, HYLAS was relocated to 18.3° West Longitude to enhance its service coverage capabilities.