Successful lift-off of AsiaSat 9

Asia Satellite Telecommunications Company Limited (AsiaSat), Asia’s leading satellite operator announced successful lift-off of AsiaSat 9, the company’s most powerful and advanced communications satellite on 29 September at Baikonur time 00:52 a.m. (02:52 a.m. Hong Kong Time). It is the 5th AsiaSat satellite built by SSL and the 5th launch collaboration with ILS’s Proton Breeze M rocket.

AsiaSat acquired the first signals from the satellite in Hong Kong 7 hours, 54 minutes after the launch, and approximately 9 hours, 13 minutes after lift-off, the AsiaSat 9 spacecraft successfully separated from the upper stage of the launch vehicle. AsiaSat 9 is now moving to its operational position in a Geostationary Orbit, where in-orbit testing will be carried out over the few weeks before it begins commercial service.

AsiaSat 9 will also offer brand new coverage for high growth markets in Asia, including the world’s first dedicated Ku-band Myanmar beam, high-power Ku-band beams for Indonesia and Mongolia, in addition to two enhanced Ku-band beams serving Australasia and East Asia, and a wide C-band footprint that offers significantly improved power over Asia, Australasia and the Pacific region.