Article Posted on : - Sep 16, 2010

An artistic concept of ViaSat-1 satellite. Photo: Space Systems/Loral

LONDON (BNS): ViaSat Inc. is planning to order another satellite with Space Systems/Loral, a subsidiary of Loral Space & Communications Inc. after the launch of ViaSat-1 in early 2011, a media report said.

“The company expects to order the second satellite in 2011, which will be launched later in 2014,”Space news quoted ViaSat Chief Executive Mark Dankberg, in a presentation to the VSAT 2010 conference organised by Comsys of London on Wednesday.

According to the company, ViaSat-1 will cost about $400 million including launch and insurance, and it is all set to break records for throughput capacity in the sector of Ka-band satellite.

The satellite is expected to have a throughput of some 140 gigabits per second and the total throughput of the satellite will be 14 times of the biggest Ka-band satellite.

ViaSat-1 satellite is under construction at Space Systems/Loral in Palo Alto, California.