Monday, December 16, 2019

SpaceX launches JCSAT-18 and Kacific1 satellites

SpaceX successfully completed its JCSAT-18/Kacific1 satellite launch mission from Cape Canaveral.

The JCSAT-18/Kacific1 payload was equipped with two unique payloads.

The JCSAT-18 satellite was built by Boeing for SKY Perfect JSAT, one of the largest providers of multichannel pay TV broadcast services in Japan, which operates the largest satellite communications business in Asia. The JCSAT-18 satellite will provide Ku-band coverage and improve mobile and broadband services for SKY Perfect JSAT Corporation customers in the Asia-Pacific region,  including the far eastern part of Russia. Boeing has built 13 satellites, including two high-throughput satellites, for SKY Perfect JSAT Corporation and its predecessors since the 1980s.


Kacific1 is a next-generation geostationary satellite operating in the Ka-band frequency spectrum. Its 56 high-throughput spot beams will place capacity over selected regions in South East Asia and the Pacific Islands. Deployed to a geostationary orbital position above Asia Pacific, Kacific1 will transmit to state-of-the-art gateways, designed and built by Kratos.

Falcon 9’s first stage was successfully recovered on the “Of Course I Still Love You” droneship stationed in the Atlantic Ocean.