| EchoStar XXIV | |
| Mission Type: | Communication |
| Operator: | EchoStar Corporation[1] |
| Mission Duration: | (elapsed) 15+ years (planned) |
| Spacecraft Bus: | SSL 1300 |
| Manufacturer: | Maxar Technologies |
| Launch Date: | UTC (28 July, 11:07 pm EDT) |
| Launch Rocket: | Falcon Heavy[2] |
| Launch Site: | Kennedy, LC-39A |
| Launch Contractor: | SpaceX |
| Orbit Reference: | Geocentric |
| Orbit Regime: | Geostationary |
| Orbit Periapsis: | [3] |
| Orbit Inclination: | 2.6° |
| Apsis: | gee |
EchoStar XXIV, also known as Jupiter 3, is a communications satellite operated by Hughes Network Systems (an EchoStar company). It provides satellite internet service to customers across North and South America at download speeds of up to 100 Mbps.[4]
The satellite was built by Maxar Technologies in Palo Alto, California. When launched, the satellite held the title of the largest commercial communications satellite ever built.[5] It weighs approximately nine tons and is nearly as large as a school bus, when its 14 solar panels are fully deployed, they could span a 10-story building.[6] [7] [8] The satellite has 500 Gbit/s of throughput.[9]
It was launched on a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket from Launch Complex 39A at Florida's Kennedy Space Center on 29 July 2023 at 10:07 UTC (11:07 pm EDT on 28 July, local time at the launch site).