Four Astranis Satellites to Launch on Falcon 9
Astranis announced Tuesday that it was targeting a launch on December 17 for its four MicroGEO satellites from Cape Canaveral in Florida. The launch date is currently unclear after a launch abort in the final seconds of the countdown. The launch vehicle will be SpaceX’s workhorse Falcon 9 rocket. The four MicroGEO satellites will be operated by a few of Astranis’ customers.
MicroGEO Satellites
MicroGEO satellites are small satellites built by Astranis for geostationary applications. The first MicroGEO, Arcturus, was launched on a SpaceX Falcon Heavy back in April of 2023 with Viasat-3, another geostationary communications satellite. An issue with one of Arcturus’ stopped it from completing its mission.
MicroGEO satellites are smaller than other geostationary satellites. Creating smaller satellites cuts down on the cost. Four MicroGEO satellites will be flying on next Tuesday’s launch. According to Astranis, upgrades to the MicroGEO satellites include a new gimbal for the electric propulsion thruster and a deployable reflector that increases the throughput per satellite. This will be the first time 4 that a satellite manufacturer’s own satellites have flown to GEO.
A render of a MicroGEO satellite. Credit: Astranis Space Technologies
These are our most advanced satellites yet. With a number of improvements that will generate increased capacity and affordability. We couldn’t be more excited to deliver for our customers, providing dedicated broadband networks in a way they can’t get anywhere else
-John Gedmark, Astranis CEO
Who’s flying?
The four MicroGEO satellites will be owned by Anuvu, Orbits Corp and Apco Networks. The following four satellites are onboard:
Agila
NuView Bravo
NuView-Alpha
UtilitySat
Anuvu, formerly Global Eagle, ordered eight spacecraft for maritime and aviation connectivity, two of which are flying on this launch.
Agila is a communications satellite from the Philippines, named after the national bird of the Philippines: the Philippine Eagle. This is the first of two Agila satellites. It will be operational starting February 14, 2025 once it establishes position over the Philippines.
UtilitySat is a versatile on-orbit spare that will temporarily replace the Arcturus satellite. It will also be able to maneuver itself using its own onboard propulsion to serve urgent customer needs. UtilitySat can conduct fully operational broadband connectivity missions in the Ka, Ku, and Q/V bands.
MicroGEO satellites are small. Here is a MicroGEO compared to a human and Intelsat EpicNG. Credit: Astranis Space Technologies
The Launch
The Falcon 9 will lift off from Space Launch Complex 40 at around midnight or the early morning hours, depending on weather and other factors. At 12 AM on December 21, the Falcon 9 went through a rare T-0 abort. Because the mission has high demands for energy, the booster will land on an Autonomous Spaceport Droneship (ASDS) downrange of the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. At around 26 minutes into flight, the second stage Merlin Vacuum engine will fire to put the satellite in geostationary transfer orbit. Shortly after SECO-2, the satellites will deploy, and they will become operational in the coming months.
A Falcon 9 launches from SLC-40 at nighttime. The Block 2 MicroGEO launch will look similar. Credit: Spaceflight Now
