SpaceX’s Falcon 9 successfully delivered EchoStar XXIII, a commercial communications satellite for EchoStar Corporation, to a Geostationary Transfer Orbit.
The orginal launch date weas set for Tuesday, March 14, but heavy winds prevented the launch from happeing. Falcon 9 lifted off from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center at 2:00 am EDT, 6:00 am UTC.
EchoStar XXIII is a Ku-band broadcast satellite services satellite with four main reflectors and multiple sub-reflectors supporting multiple mission profiles. Initial commercial deployment of EchoStar XXIII will be at 45 degrees West, and the Satellite End of Life (EOL) Power is 20 kilowatts (kW).
EchoStar operates the world’s fourth-largest commercial geosynchronous fleet, with 25 satellites.
