| Mission type | Communication |
|---|---|
| Operator | EchoStar Corporation [1] |
| COSPAR ID | 2023-108A |
| SATCAT no. | 57479  |
| Mission duration | 2 years, 4 months, 1 day (elapsed) 15+ years (planned) |
| Spacecraft properties | |
| Bus | SSL 1300 |
| Manufacturer | Maxar Technologies |
| Launch mass | 9,200 kg (20,300 lb) |
| Dry mass | 5,817 kg (12,824 lb) |
| Start of mission | |
| Launch date | 29 July 2023, 10:07 UTC (28 July, 11:07 pm EDT) |
| Rocket | Falcon Heavy [2] |
| Launch site | Kennedy, LC-39A |
| Contractor | SpaceX |
| Orbital parameters | |
| Reference system | Geocentric |
| Regime | Geostationary |
| Perigee altitude | 35,788.3 km (22,237.8 mi) [3] |
| Apogee altitude | 35,800.4 km (22,245.3 mi) |
| Inclination | 2.6° => 0.0° 95°W |
Jupiter 3, also known as (a.k.a.) EchoStar XXIV (24), is a communications satellite operated by Hughes_Network_Systems (an EchoStar company). It provides satellite internet service to customers across North and South America at download speeds of up to 100 Mbps. [4]
The satellite was built by Maxar Technologies in Palo Alto, California. When launched, the satellite held the title of the largest commercial communications satellite ever built. [5] It weighs approximately nine tons and is nearly as large as a school bus, when its 14 solar panels are fully deployed, they could span a 10-story building. [6] [7] [8] The satellite has 500 Gbit/s of throughput. [9]
It was launched on a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket from Launch Complex 39A at Florida's Kennedy Space Center on 29 July 2023 at 10:07 UTC (11:07 pm EDT on 28 July, local time at the launch site).