The Al Yah 3 satellite is scheduled for launch in January 2018. Credit: Orbital ATK.

Orbital ATK has delivered the Al Yah 3 satellite to Kourou, French Guiana, for its scheduled launch on an Arianespace rocket in January next year.

Al Yah 3 is a lightweight, Ka-band high-throughput satellite that offers a new standard for affordability and payload flexibility in its class.

Developed for global satellite operator Al Yah Satellite Communications Company PrJSC (Yahsat), Al Yah 3 is the first hybrid electric propulsion GEOStar-3 satellite to be completed by Orbital ATK.

“We look forward to working with both Yahsat and Arianespace to prepare for a successful launch in January.”

Orbital ATK commercial satellite vice-president Amer Khouri said: “Today’s delivery highlights the teamwork and cooperation between Orbital ATK and Yahsat that brings us one step closer to advancing our customer’s goals.

“With the satellite now in Kourou, we look forward to working with both Yahsat and Arianespace to prepare for a successful launch in January.”

The GEOStar-3 platform is the latest, highest power and most advanced platform in the flight-proven GEOStar product line.

The new spacecraft bus offers both an enhanced battery capacity and solar array power, thereby allowing the GEOStar-3 to supply up to 8KW of power to the payload.

The hybrid electric propulsion system offers improved power and payload capabilities while ensuring cost-effective launches and a faster path to orbit when compared to all-electric systems.

Al Yah 3 was developed at Orbital ATK’s manufacturing unit in Dulles, Virginia, US, and transported to the launch site on 28 November.

The satellite will help extend Yahsat’s commercial Ka-band coverage to an additional 600 million users across Africa and Brazil.

The spacecraft will deliver affordable broadband communications to 60% of Africa’s population and more than 95% of the population in Brazil.