A world first from the Kourou base in Guyana.

The Ariane 5 rocket launched this Friday Eutelsat Quantum, the first so-called “flexible” commercial satellite.

This first Ariane 5 of the year took off when its launch window opened, at 6 p.m. (11 p.m. in Paris), with two satellites on board on behalf of satellite operators Embratel, the largest in Brazil and Latin America, and therefore Eutelsat, one of the world leaders in the sector.

Eutelsat Quantum will allow Eutelsat customers to reconfigure the satellite in real time, from power to spectrum to frequency.

The other telecommunications satellite launched is Star One D2 which, with its six tons, is the largest ever ordered by Embratel.

Changes in minutes

Commissioned five years ago, Eutelsat Quantum is the result of a public-private partnership involving the European Space Agency, the operator Eutelsat and Airbus Defense and Space.

The European operator expects a lot from this new technology, presented as a world first.

Each of Quantum's eight beams will be modular, both in coverage area and in power or frequency, "in a few minutes", via software made available to the customer, according to Eutelsat.

This flexibility of use will make it possible, for example, to provide mobile coverage for planes, ships, or government services, for example in the event of natural disasters or one-off events.

It also paves the way for a production closer to the series of satellites, which until now are unique objects.

“Quantum is at the forefront of software solutions for commercial spacecraft because we are the first to respond to market demand for extreme flexibility for customers,” said Elodie Viau, director of telecommunications and integrated applications at the European Space Agency.

The launch of this first Ariane 5 of the year will be followed by two other Ariane, without forgetting a Véga and a Soyuz this summer, recalled the CEO of Arianespace, Stéphane Israël.

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  • Ariane 5

  • Kourou

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