Nichols Martin
Orbital ATK has confirmed the Al Yah 3 commercial communications satellite’s good operational status, following a launch on Thursday wherein the unit entered an unplanned route.
Al Yah Satellite Communications commissioned the satellite that was initially launched from Kourou, French Guiana, on an Ariane 5 rocket, in aims to provide Ka-band coverage over Africa, Orbital ATK said Friday.
“Based on data from initial communications, I can report that Al Yah 3 is in orbit, healthy and responding to commands from our mission operations team,†said Frank Culbertson, president at Orbital ATK’s space systems group.
The company plans to execute the original mission with a revised procedure to have the satellite enter the intended orbit route.
The Al Yah 3 full Ka-band satellite employs hybrid electric propulsion and is expected to join Al Yah 1 and Al Yah 2 satellites in providing internet access for Africa, the Middle east, Southwest Asia and Brazil by late 2018.
