CARLSBAD — After a weeklong delay, Viasat celebrated the successful launch of its VS3-F2 satellite on Thursday aboard the ULA Atlas V551 rocket from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.
Just over three and a half hours after liftoff, the Ka-band satellite separated from the launch vehicle, and the first signals were acquired shortly thereafter, confirming the satellite’s readiness for the next phase of operations, Carlsbad-based Viasat said in the statement.
Viasat was initially scheduled to launch on Nov. 5, but it was delayed due to a valve issue on the vehicle’s booster. The launch was rescheduled for Nov. 6 but was again postponed due to the same problem.
“The successful launch and initial signal acquisition of ViaSat-3 F2 are a testament to the dedication and expertise of our Viasat team and partners,” Mark Dankberg, chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Viasat, said. “This cutting-edge satellite will significantly scale our network’s performance and capacity, enabling exciting new connectivity services and supporting our customers’ growing needs across the Americas.”
