Getting a satellite into orbit is no easy matter, but once in orbit, the next worry for engineers and technicians is deploying the craft’s solar panels. But for Viasat and its ViaSat-F3 satellite, that challenge is magnified by the size of the craft’s reflector.

Viasat has confirmed that the boom and reflector have now successfully been deployed – and they have the photographs to prove it. An on-board camera beamed the deployment action back to Earth and the success means that the satellite can now start formal in-orbit testing ahead of its service introduction over the Asia-Pacific region.

ViaSat-3 Flight 3 (VS-3 F3) successfully launched from Kennedy Space Center in Florida aboard a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket on April 29th. It is anticipated to be in service over the Asia-Pacific region later this year.

The unfurling of the massive reflector completes Viasat’s trio of launches. ViaSat’s VS-3 F1 and VS-3 F2 are already in service  

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Categories: Articles, Satellite

Tags: satellite, Viasat