Cape Canaveral (USA), (EFE).- The Spanish operator Hispasat launched into space the Amazonas Nexus, its most advanced satellite, which will bring internet to passenger flights that cross the Atlantic and to the most remote regions of Greenland.
The launch, which had to be postponed one day due to complicated weather conditions, was carried out aboard a Falcon 9 rocket from the American company SpaceX, from its facilities in Cape Canaveral (Florida).
The Nexus will occupy a fixed position over Brazil, giving it a wide coverage area that will include the North and South Atlantic corridors, the entire American continent and Greenland.
This has allowed Hispasat to reach an agreement prior to the launch with the in-flight internet company Gogo -now part of Intelsat-, which will give passengers on transatlantic flights the possibility of talking on video calls or watching television during their trips.
This focus on mobility, both air and sea, distinguishes Amazonas Nexus from other company satellites, more focused on broadcasting audiovisual content.
“For the thousands of ships that move between Europe and America, for the thousands and thousands of planes that connect us every day… it is evident that the satellite is a great instrument to provide quality internet,” the president of Hispasat explained to EFE. , Jordi Hereu.
The former mayor of Barcelona defended that this is a very important segment that is growing, and that the company can now add to its product portfolio.
In addition to the project to offer internet on planes, Hispasat has already reached two other agreements: one with the national communications company of Greenland and another with the communications company Artel, which is working on a US Space Force plan. to improve satellite connections.
With these three programs, Hispasat launches the Nexus with 60% of its capacity already committed.
Advance digital rights
The agreement with Greenland will allow the most remote towns in the north and east of the region, where fiber optics do not reach, to connect to the internet, and will also help provide corporate services to mining companies in the area.
Bringing the internet to remote regions will serve to “advance digital rights that are not guaranteed to the entire population because they depend a lot on technology,” explained the president of the Redeia group (formerly Red Eléctrica), Beatriz Corredor.
“I believe that after the pandemic we are all sure that connectivity is essential,” said the executive of the group that owns Hispasat.
In this sense, Jordi Hereu defended that the Amazon Nexus will allow digital connectivity to reach regions, especially in areas of Latin America, where other technologies are still unable to reach.
“I always say that the satellite is the great antidote to the digital divide,” he explained, while celebrating that with this achievement Spain takes a “leap forward” in the space race.
The project, whose construction and development was carried out by the French company Thales Alenia Space (TAS), has required an investment of close to 300 million euros, although it will still take a few months to begin to see the fruits of the effort.
This is because the Nexus’ electric drive – an industry first – makes it slower than its chemically powered predecessors, which could reach position in a few days.
The decision to opt for this type of propulsion, however, has allowed Hispasat to make better use of the space on the satellite, since it does not need to carry fuel, which makes it lighter.
