News Releases

SKY Perfect JSAT and Intelsat Launched Horizons-4/Galaxy 37 to Provide Capacity Over North America and Pacific

Aug 3, 2023

 SKY Perfect JSAT Corporation (Head Office: Minato-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director, President & Chief Executive Officer: Eiichi Yonekura; “SKY Perfect JSAT”) and Intelsat (Head Office: Luxemburg, Chief Executive Officer: David Wajsgras, “Intelsat”) successfully launched a new satellite to satisfy the growing connectivity demands in the North America and Pacific region.

 Known as Horizons-4/Galaxy 37 (“H-4/G-37”), the satellite was launched aboard SpaceX’s Falcon 9 launch vehicle from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida, U.S.A at 2:00 p.m. on August 3, 2023, Japan Standard Time (JST) and the satellite was separated from the launch vehicle at 2:33 p.m. JST. It will succeed and replace Horizons-1/Galaxy 13 in geostationary orbit at the 127 degrees West location. Operation is expected to start in the fourth quarter 2023.

 The H-4/G-37 satellite marks the fifth satellite by SKY Perfect JSAT and Intelsat in 20 years, following Horizons-1 (2003), Horizons-2 (2007), Intelsat 15/JCSAT-85 (2009) and Horizons 3e (2018). The H-4 Ku-band payload, which will be jointly owned by both companies^*1, will provide capacity for mobility connectivity with expanded coverage over the Pacific Ocean, in addition to the United States, Mexico and the Caribbean. The G-37 C-band payload, which will be owned by Intelsat, will provide North American capacity for television media and telecommunication network customers.

1.　Launch date and time : August 3, 2023, 2:00 p.m. (JST)
2.　Launch site : Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida, U.S.A
3.　Launcher : SpaceX (Falcon 9)
4.　Manufacturer : Maxar (Maxar 1300 series bus)
5.　Satellite specifications : (1) Frequency band: Ku-band and C-band
　　　　　　　　　　　　　 (2) Primary Coverage: North America and Pacific
6.　Orbital Slot : 127 degrees West longitude
 

^*1About Horizons-4
The Horizons-4 satellite will be owned by the new joint venture company Horizons-4 Satellite LLC, the membership of which will be held by JSAT International Inc., a subsidiary of SKY Perfect JSAT and Intelsat US LLC, a subsidiary of Intelsat, both of which are based in the United States.

 

About SKY Perfect JSAT
SKY Perfect JSAT Corporation is Asia’s largest satellite operator with a fleet of 16 satellites, and Japan’s only provider of both Multi-channel Pay TV broadcasting and satellite communications services. SKY Perfect JSAT delivers a broad range of entertainment through the “SKY PerfecTV!” platform, the most extensive in Japan with a total of approximately 2.8 million subscribers. SKY Perfect JSAT’s satellite communications services, which cover Asia, Indian Ocean, Middle East, Pacific Ocean and North America, play a vital role in supporting communications infrastructures for mobile backhaul, government, aviation, maritime, oil & gas and disaster recovery. For more information, visit our corporate website (https://www.skyperfectjsat.space/en) and Space Business website (https://www.skyperfectjsat.space/jsat/en/).

About Intelsat
Intelsat’s global team of professionals is focused on providing seamless and secure, satellite-based communications to government, NGO and commercial customers through the company’s next-generation worldwide network and managed services. Bridging the digital divide by operating one of the world’s largest and most advanced satellite fleet and connectivity infrastructures, Intelsat enables people and their tools to speak over oceans, see across continents and listen through the skies to communicate, cooperate and coexist. Since its founding six decades ago, the company has been synonymous with satellite-industry “firsts” in service to its customers and the planet. Leaning on a legacy of innovation and focusing on addressing a new generation of challenges Intelsat team members now have their sights on the “next firsts” in space as they disrupt the field and lead in the digital transformation of the industry.

Attachment
Artist’s depiction of Horizons-4/Galaxy 37 in space