First Satellite in Intelsat's EpicNG Constellation Launched

Intelsat 29e, the first satellite in Intelsat's planned EpicNG high throughput constellation, launched Wednesday, the company said in a news release. Intelsat 29e took off from French Guiana on an Ariane 5 vehicle, and will operate at 310 degrees east, where it will replace Intelsat 1R, Intelsat said. The satellite will bring C- and Ku-band capacity to North and Latin America and the North Atlantic region, it said. The second EpicNG satellite, Intelsat 33e, targeting Africa, Asia, Europe and the Middle East, is expected to launch in Q3, it said.