Designed and built by Boeing, the Kacific1 payload is supported by the reliable 702 MP platform. Kacific1 was launched into geostationary orbit aboard a two-stage SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket.
Kacific and SKY Perfect JSAT share the satellite platform costs under a condominium arrangement. This platform supports both the Kacific1 and SKY Perfect JSAT payloads, allowing both parties to achieve efficiencies in production and launch costs.
Kacific1’s coverage was designed with future capacity expansion in mind. By launching additional satellites into different orbital slots, Kacific will be able to provide more capacity in areas already covered by Kacific1 that need additional bandwidth, while also expanding the total coverage area.
Boeing Satellite Systems International’s facility in California has delivered the Kacific1 satellite. It is currently en route to SpaceX’s launch operations site in Cape Canaveral, Florida, where it will be prepared for launch by a Falcon 9 rocket.
“Kacific1 is the newest and most powerful commercial satellite operating in the Asia-Pacific region, placing Kacific in an excellent position to grow alongside these markets,” said Christian Patouraux, founder and CEO of Kacific. “The wide range of services it offers—from mobile backhaul to broadband internet via VSAT terminals—will serve as a catalyst for positive change in the countries it will serve. I’m very excited to begin seeing the social and economic impact of Kacific1.”
Kacific1 will cover Indonesia, the Philippines, Timor-Leste, and South Asia with 28 spot beams, while the Pacific Islands and New Zealand will be served by an additional 28 beams.
Following a series of in-orbit maneuvers and testing expected to take about six weeks, Kacific1 is scheduled to begin commercial operations in the first quarter of 2020.
Eight minutes after launch, the first stage of the Falcon 9 rocket landed on the drone ship Of Course I Still Love You in the Atlantic Ocean. SpaceX attempted to recover both halves of the carbon fiber fairing that protected the spacecraft during launch, but recovery vessels Ms. Tree and Ms. Chief narrowly missed catching them.
“Celebrating this launch with Kacific’s international supporters has been an extraordinary and uplifting experience. I am deeply grateful for the tremendous energy they brought to this unforgettable moment,” said Patouraux.
