Horizons-3e
| Company type | Joint venture |
|---|---|
| Industry | Satellite communications |
| Predecessor | PanAmSat (partnership origin) |
| Founded | 2001 |
| Products | Communications satellites |
| Owner | Intelsat, SKY Perfect JSAT Group |
Horizons-3e, alternatively known as IS-H3e, is a geostationary communications satellite with high data capacity, commissioned by Horizons Satellite, a collaborative enterprise between Intelsat and SKY Perfect JSAT Group. The satellite was engineered and constructed by Boeing utilizing the Boeing-702MP platform.
Serving as the sixth installment in the EpicNG series, it delivers service across the Pacific Ocean Region from an orbital position at 169° East longitude. Outfitted with a combination of C band and Ku band transponders, Horizons-3e was deployed into orbit on 25 September 2018 via an Ariane 5 launch vehicle.
Satellite description
The Horizons-3e satellite was developed and produced by Boeing based on the Boeing 702MP satellite bus. It has a launch mass estimated at and is designed to operate for more than 15 years.
Its power system consists of two solar array wings, each containing four panels equipped with triple-junction GsAs solar cells. The Boeing 702MP platform provides power output ranging from 6 kW to 12 kW.
The payload represents the seventh deployment in the EpicNG high-throughput satellite series, utilizing frequency reuse through a combination of polarization and frequency within small spot beams. This approach is applied not only to the traditional HTS Ka band but also extends to both the Ku band and C band. The EpicNG satellites integrate high throughput capabilities alongside broadcast services using wide beams on a single platform.
History
Horizons Satellite originated as a joint venture with equal ownership between PanAmSat and others, placing its first order with Boeing for the satellite Horizons-1/Galaxy 13 in mid-2001; this satellite was launched on October 1, 2003. Following PanAmSat’s acquisition by Intelsat in 2005, the collaboration persisted, leading to an order for a GEOStar-2 based satellite, Horizons-2, which was launched on December 21, 2007.
In July 2009, Intelsat became Boeing’s inaugural customer for the 702MP platform by ordering four satellites: Intelsat 21, Intelsat 22, Intelsat 27, and the initial EpicNG model, Intelsat 29e. On June 7, 2012, Intelsat unveiled the EpicNG platform aimed at increasing bandwidth efficiency through frequency reuse and polarization techniques combined with spot and wide beam coverage for broadband and broadcast services. The first satellites under this program were Intelsat 29e and Intelsat 33e. Boeing confirmed on September 4, 2012, that it would manufacture Intelsat 29e using the 702MP bus, fulfilling its earlier commitment from 2009.
By May 2013, Intelsat had expanded its EpicNG lineup with four additional satellites based on the 702MP platform—Intelsat 32e, Intelsat 33e, plus two yet unnamed spacecraft—and further added a sixth Epic satellite, Intelsat 35e, in July 2014.
Following negotiations lasting approximately eighteen months, on November 4, 2015, Intelsat and JSAT announced their fourth collaborative satellite—Horizons-3e. This satellite marked the seventh high-throughput addition to Intelsat’s fleet and completed the EpicNG portfolio by delivering coverage over the Pacific Ocean Region utilizing both C band and Ku band.