SpaceX Launches Condosat with Joint Payload for Sky Perfect JSAT and Kacific

Aerospace and Defense Review | Friday, December 27, 2019

The condosat payload for Sky Perfect JSAT will provide Ku- and Ka-band capacity over large parts of the Asia-Pacific, including Russia’s Far East. This will be the 18th geostationary satellite in the operator's fleet and the second one with a high throughput capacity. In comparison with traditional satellites, the JCSAT-18/Kacific-1 will enable higher-speed broadband services

Fremont, CA: SpaceX launched communications satellite JCSAT-18/Kacific-1 into a geostationary orbit on board a Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral, Florida. The Falcon 9, which houses reusable rocket technology, landed on the Atlantic drone ship, Of Course I Still Love You, nine minutes into the mission after deploying the satellite. This marked the third time the Falcon 9 returned to the Earth. The rocket was earlier used for cargo missions to the International Space Station in May and July.

The fairing recovery ships Ms. Tree and Ms. Chief narrowly missed catching the fairing halves from the launch, but the company is looking to recover the same from the ocean for potential reuse in the future. The JCSAT-18/Kacific-1 is a 6,800-kilogram condominium satellite, or condosat, manufactured by Boeing, equipped with distinct payloads for Japanese operator Sky Perfect JSAT and Singaporean startup Kacific. The condosat payload for Sky Perfect JSAT will provide Ku- and Ka-band capacity over large parts of the Asia-Pacific, including Russia’s Far East. This will be the 18th geostationary satellite in the operator's fleet and the second one with a high throughput capacity. In comparison with traditional satellites, the JCSAT-18/Kacific-1 will enable higher-speed broadband services.

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Kacific's payload is an all Ka-band with high-throughput coverage, specially designed for island nations that lack dedicated satellite coverage. The payload comprises of 56 spot beams, which will cover 600 million people spread across 25 different countries. This is the company’s first satellite and was almost unlikely to happen due to difficulties in raising capital.

The startup company was formed in 2013 and ordered the Kacific-1 in 2017. The company had to do the same without help from the U.S. Export-Import Bank, as it lacked the minimum number of Senate-confirmed board members required to finance deals over USD 10 million. According to Kacific's CEO Christian Patouraux, the company raised USD 67 million in equity for the satellite through family offices, many of which were backed by high net worth individuals. Kacific also used short term debt, which it refinanced with USD 160 million in new debt.

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