Atlas V Rocket Launches EchoStar 19 Broadband Internet Satellite Into Orbit

A United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket launches the EchoStar 19 communications satellite into orbit from Space Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida on Dec. 18, 2016.
A United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket launches the EchoStar 19 communications satellite into orbit from Space Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida on Dec. 18, 2016. (Image credit: United Launch Alliance)

A powerful new communications satellite, touted as the world's highest-capacity broadband satellite for space-based internet service, launched into space Sunday (Dec. 18) to serve millions of customers across North America. 

The EchoStar XIX satellite (or EchoStar 19) launched into space atop a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket, which soared into space at 2:13 p.m. EST (1913 GMT) from a pad at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. Built by Space Systems Loral, EchoStar 19 will provide high-speed internet service to customers of HughesNet across North America. You can see more photos from the launch here

"Boy, it's good to see this launch go off really well," said David Pidgeon, vice president of EchoStar opersations at SSL. "This satellite will provide high-bandwidth capability to millions of HughesNet customers."

Pidgeon said the EchoStar 19's internet service works much like dish-based satellite television service.

"From the home, you will have an antenna on the roof, jus tlike you would with Dish network satellite TV, but in this case it would be connected to a router, and then to your laptop or computer," Pidgeon said. 

EchoStar 19, also called Jupiter 2 by Hughes, is now the "highest capacity broadband satelltie in orbit." It is equipped with multiple Ka-band spot beams to support customers across North America, and will be stationed in a geosynchronous orbit over 97.1 West longitude to serve Hughes customers. 

The launch occured after a short delay due to an avionics issue that cropped up one minute before a launch try at 1:37 p.m. EST (1837 GMT). It marked the 12th and final launch of 2016 for the United Launch Alliance, and was the 115th launch in the company's decade-long history. 

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Tariq Malik
Editor-in-Chief

Tariq is the Editor-in-Chief of Space.com and joined the team in 2001, first as an intern and staff writer, and later as an editor. He covers human spaceflight, exploration and space science, as well as skywatching and entertainment. He became Space.com's Managing Editor in 2009 and Editor-in-Chief in 2019. Before joining Space.com, Tariq was a staff reporter for The Los Angeles Times covering education and city beats in La Habra, Fullerton and Huntington Beach. In October 2022, Tariq received the Harry Kolcum Award for excellence in space reporting from the National Space Club Florida Committee. He is also an Eagle Scout (yes, he has the Space Exploration merit badge) and went to Space Camp four times as a kid and a fifth time as an adult. He has journalism degrees from the University of Southern California and New York University. You can find Tariq at Space.com and as the co-host to the This Week In Space podcast with space historian Rod Pyle on the TWiT network. To see his latest project, you can follow Tariq on Twitter @tariqjmalik.