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SpaceX successfully launched a Falcon 9 rocket from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida. The rocket carried Eutelsat’s Hotbird 13G geostationary communications satellite. This mission marked SpaceX’s 51st launch of 2022.

The Falcon 9 rocket lifted off at 1:22 a.m. EDT (0522 GMT) on Thursday. The first stage booster of the rocket successfully landed on a drone ship in the Atlantic Ocean. The Hotbird 13G satellite, weighing approximately 10,000 pounds, was built by Airbus and will provide television and radio channels across Europe, the Middle East, and North Africa.

This satellite is the twin of Hotbird 13F, which was launched in October on a previous SpaceX Falcon 9 mission. Both Hotbird 13G and 13F are the first satellites to be built using Airbus’s new Eurostar Neo spacecraft design, which incorporates upgrades in propulsion, thermal control, and electrical systems.

The Falcon 9 rocket’s first stage booster, with tail number B1067, completed its seventh flight during this mission. It has previously launched a Dragon cargo mission to the International Space Station, two astronaut crews for NASA, the Turksat 5B communications satellite, a space station resupply mission, and a batch of Starlink internet satellites.

The Hotbird 13G satellite will use a plasma propulsion system developed by Safran to raise its orbit over several months. This system, which uses xenon gas and electricity, is more fuel-efficient and allows the satellite to be lighter, opening up the possibility for additional payloads or a smaller rocket for its launch.

Hotbird 13G and its predecessor Hotbird 13F will provide high-capacity satellite broadcasting to deliver over 1,000 TV channels to more than 160 million homes in Europe, the Middle East, and North Africa. The satellites will also support 500 radio stations and multimedia services.

Eutelsat plans to start commercial service with Hotbird 13G by the middle of next year, replacing three aging Hotbird spacecraft operating at 13 degrees east longitude. These satellites will significantly increase Eutelsat’s broadcast capacity in the region.

SpaceX’s next launch for Eutelsat will be the Eutelsat 10B communications satellite, which is designed to provide in-flight internet connectivity to airline passengers. The satellite arrived at Cape Canaveral by boat and is scheduled to launch later this month on a Falcon 9 rocket.

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