Amazonas Nexus
Amazonas Nexus launch on Falcon 9 | |
| Mission type | Communication |
|---|---|
| Operator | Hispasat |
| COSPAR ID | 2023-017A |
| SATCAT no. | 55508 |
| Mission duration | 15 years (planned) |
| Spacecraft properties | |
| Spacecraft type | SB NEO 200 |
| Bus | Spacebus NEO |
| Manufacturer | Thales Alenia Space |
| Launch mass | 4500 kg |
| Start of mission | |
| Launch date | 7 February 2023, 01:32 UTC |
| Rocket | Falcon 9 Block 5 |
| Launch site | Cape Canaveral, SLC-40 |
| Contractor | SpaceX |
| Orbital parameters | |
| Reference system | Geocentric orbit |
| Regime | Geostationary orbit |
Amazonas Nexus (also known as Intelsat 46e) is a geostationary high-throughput satellite (HTS) owned and operated by the Spanish satellite operator Hispasat. Built by Thales Alenia Space on the Spacebus-Neo-200 platform, it provides broadband connectivity across the Americas, Greenland, and Atlantic air and maritime corridors. Launched in 2023, it replaces and expands upon the capabilities of the earlier Amazonas 2 satellite, incorporating advanced digital processing for flexible capacity allocation.[1][2][3]
Launch
Amazonas Nexus launched on 7 February 2023 (01:32 UTC) aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 Block 5 rocket from SLC-40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. The first-stage booster B1073 landed successfully on a droneship.[1][4][5][6]
Operations
The satellite reached geostationary orbit at 61° West and entered commercial service in July 2023 after in-orbit testing. Hispasat has leased significant capacity, including to Intelsat for pan-American services and to partners for aviation and governmental use. Over 60% of capacity was pre-leased before full operations.[7][8]
References
- ^ a b Rosenstein, Sawyer (7 February 2023). "SpaceX launches Hispasat's Amazonas Nexus satellite". NASASpaceFlight.com. Retrieved 3 November 2025.
- ^ "Hispasat | Telecommunications satellite operator". www.hispasat.com (in Spanish). Retrieved 3 November 2025.
- ^ "Amazonas Nexus (Intelsat 46e)". Gunter's Space Page. Retrieved 3 November 2025.
- ^ "Amazonas Nexus | Falcon 9 Block 5 | Next Spaceflight". nextspaceflight.com. Retrieved 3 November 2025.
- ^ "SpaceX launches communications satellite for Spain's Hispasat – Spaceflight Now". Retrieved 3 November 2025.
- ^ https://spacenews.com/spacex-launches-hispasats-amazonas-nexus-communications-satellite/
- ^ "Amazonas Nexus satellite successfully launched | Thales Alenia Space". www.thalesaleniaspace.com. 7 February 2023. Retrieved 3 November 2025.
- ^ "Satbeams - World Of Satellites at your fingertips". Satbeams Web and Mobile. Retrieved 3 November 2025.