SpaceX Falcon 9 launches pair of Boeing All-Electric Propulsion Comm Satellites In Orbit

Boeing Sends First All-Electric Propulsion Satellites In Orbit | Defense Technology News at DefenceTalk
Two Boeing 702SP Satellites, the first all-electric propulsion satellites to launch, have sent initial signals from space, marking the first step toward ABS, based in Bermuda, and Eutelsat, based in Paris, being able to provide enhanced communication services to their customers.

In March 2012, a joint procurement by Asia Broadcast Satellite (ABS) and Satmex (acquired by Eutelsat in January 2014), resulted in Boeing’s first order for the 702SP. The agreement consisted of four satellites, including ABS-3A and Eutelsat 115 West B, with options for four additional satellites. In July 2013, ABS confirmed that the third satellite would be ABS-2A, while Satmex confirmed that the fourth satellite in the original order would become Eutelsat 117 West B. Eutelsat 117 West B will also carry a Wide-Area Augmentation System (WAAS). The WAAS hosted payload will enable the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to enhance aviation safety.

The 702SP operates in the low- to mid-power ranges of 3 to 8 kilowatts, and expands the capability of the 702 satellite family to power ranges from 3 to 18 kilowatts. The 702SP features all-electric propulsion, which minimizes spacecraft launch mass and maximizes available payload. Able to accommodate up to five reflectors, the 702SP provides additional mission flexibility to its operators and broader services to users. It also features a next-generation avionics architecture, which simplifies operations and provides improved access to data for evaluation of the spacecraft’s health.
The 702SP’s lightweight system design accommodates launch on most commercial launch systems, including Falcon 9, Ariane 5, Sea Launch, Proton, Soyuz, Atlas 5 and Delta IV. Because of its lower mass and weight, two 702SP satellites can be launched on a single launch vehicle, resulting in a cost savings of up to 20 percent when compared with existing launch options.

The Boeing 702SP can operate in the S-, X-, C-, Ku, and Ka-band frequencies and, as with all Boeing 702s, is designed to provide 15 or more years of satellite service with additional fuel capacity to enable multiple station changes over the life of the satellite. The 702 family of vehicles is designed to accommodate hosted payloads, such as sensors, UHF, military Ka-band and navigation L-band, resulting in additional flexibility for customers.

SpaceX Rocket Launches 2 Communications Satellites Into Orbit (Video)
What’s more, the satellites were launched as a conjoined stack on a single SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, demonstrating a patented Boeing technology that promises to noticeably reduce launch costs.

The private spaceflight company SpaceX launched a pair of communications satellites to space Sunday (March 1), and you can see amazing videos and photos of the liftoff.
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket blasted off from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida at 10:50 p.m. EST (0350 March 2 GMT) carrying the ABS 3A and EUTELSAT 115 West B satellites to orbit. If you missed it, don't fret. You can still watch video highlights of the SpaceX launch.
The EUTELSAT probe — designed to help bolster the company's data services network — is also equipped with electric propulsion so that its orbit can be raised for more efficiency, company officials have said. The ABS 3A satellite will extend coverage for users in the Atlantic Ocean region as well, ABS officials have said. [The Rockets and Spaceships of SpaceX (Photos)]