PARIS, June 17, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Viasat Inc.,
(NASDAQ: VSAT), a global communications company, and satellite
launch company, Arianespace, announced today a modification to
their original ViaSat-3 satellite launch contract, signed in 2016.
Under the new agreement, the two companies agreed to move the
ViaSat-3 satellite from an Ariane 5 ECA launch vehicle to the
next-generation Ariane 64 (A64) launcher. With this contract,
Viasat will become the first commercial customer to commit to
launch on the A64.
The A64 launcher is expected to maintain launch quality and
reliability, but with added mission effectiveness, efficiency and
flexibility. The A64 launch vehicle will feature a modular
configuration based on core stages powered by lower and upper
liquid propellant modules, which is supplemented by four solid
rocket motors. The A64's configuration will also provide added
performance to deliver a ViaSat-3 satellite into a high-energy
geostationary transfer orbit where it can begin on-orbit operations
faster.
Arianespace will launch the ViaSat-3 satellite from the Guiana
Space Center, Europe's Spaceport
in Kourou, French Guiana.
Moving to the A64 launcher completes Viasat's integrated launch
strategy, which is designed to bring an on-time launch to all of
the ViaSat-3 spacecraft through launch vehicle diversity and an
integrated approach to launch planning. Viasat will announce
specific mission assignments for each of the contracted launch
vehicles at a later date.
Dave Ryan, president, Space and
Commercial Networks at Viasat commented, "We have a long-standing
partnership with Arianespace, and trust their A64 launcher will
allow Viasat to meet key business objectives, which include
bringing high-speed, high-quality broadband connectivity to
end-users, worldwide. The A64 vehicle is a highly competitive
launcher, and incorporates key features to ensure a more
cost-effective, dependable ViaSat-3 spacecraft launch."
Arianespace Chief Executive Officer, Stéphane Israël said, "We
were honored that Viasat initially chose Arianespace for one of its
ViaSat-3 launches, and has now evolved the program, enabling them
to be the first commercial launch customer to commit to fly on
our powerful Ariane 64 launcher. By moving to the A64 vehicle, we
are confident we will demonstrate next-generation market
adaptability—one that responds better to customer needs."
The ViaSat-3 class of Ka-band satellites is expected to
provide unprecedented capabilities in terms of service speed and
flexibility for a satellite platform. The first two satellites will
focus on the Americas and on Europe, Middle
East and Africa (EMEA), respectively, with the third
satellite planned for the APAC region,
completing Viasat's global service coverage.
Each ViaSat-3 class satellite is expected to deliver more than
1-Terabit per second of network capacity, and to leverage high
levels of flexibility to dynamically direct capacity to where
customers are located.
About Viasat
Viasat is a global
communications company that believes everyone and everything in the
world can be connected. For more than 30
years, Viasat has helped shape how consumers, businesses,
governments and militaries around the world communicate. Today, the
Company is developing the ultimate global communications network to
power high-quality, secure, affordable, fast connections to impact
people's lives anywhere they are—on the ground, in the air or at
sea. To learn more about Viasat, visit: www.viasat.com,
go to Viasat's Corporate Blog, or follow the Company on social
media
at: Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter or YouTube.
About Arianespace
Arianespace uses space to make life
better on Earth by providing launch services for all types of
satellites into all orbits. It has orbited more than 600 satellites
since 1980, using its family of three launchers, Ariane, Soyuz and
Vega, from launch sites in French
Guiana (South America) and
Baikonur, Kazakhstan. Arianespace
is headquartered in Evry, near Paris, and has a technical facility at the
Guiana Space Center, Europe's
Spaceport in French Guiana, plus
local offices in Washington, D.C.,
Tokyo and Singapore. Arianespace is a subsidiary of
ArianeGroup, which holds 74% of its share capital, with the balance
held by 15 other shareholders from the European launcher
industry.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains
forward-looking statements that are subject to the safe harbors
created under the Securities Act of 1933 and the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934. Forward-looking statements include among
others, statements about the relationship between Viasat and
Arianespace; launch or in-orbit date of the ViaSat-3 class
satellite constellation; the performance, capabilities and
anticipated benefits of the ViaSat-3 class satellite platform,
expected capacity, service, speeds, coverage, flexibility and other
features of the ViaSat-3 constellation. Readers are cautioned
that actual results could differ materially from those expressed in
any forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual
results to differ include: the ability to realize the anticipated
benefits of the ViaSat-3 satellite platform, unexpected
expenses or delays related to the satellite system, the ability to
successfully implement Viasat's business plan for
broadband satellite services on Viasat's anticipated
timeline or at all, including with respect to the ViaSat-3
satellite platform; and risks associated with the construction,
launch and operation of ViaSat-3 and Viasat's other
satellites, including the effect of any anomaly, operational
failure or degradation in satellite performance. In addition,
please refer to the risk factors contained in Viasat's
SEC filings available at www.sec.gov,
including Viasat's most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K
and Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q. Readers are cautioned not to
place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements, which speak
only as of the date on which they are
made. Viasat undertakes no obligation to update or revise
any forward-looking statements for any reason.
Copyright © 2019 Viasat, Inc. All rights reserved. Viasat, the
Viasat logo and the Viasat signal are registered trademarks of
Viasat, Inc. All other product or company names mentioned are used
for identification purposes only and may be trademarks of their
respective owners.
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SOURCE Viasat, Inc.