ARSAT-2 is a geostationarycommunications satellite operated by ARSAT and built by the Argentine company INVAP.[6] It was launched from French Guiana alongside Sky Muster satellite using an Ariane 5ECA rocket on September 30, 2015 at 20:30hs UTC, becoming the 400th satellite to be launched by Arianespace.[7][8] It is licensed to be located at 81° West longitude geostationary slot.[9][10] ARSAT-2 is the second geostationary satellite built in Argentina, after ARSAT-1. Structurally and mechanically it is a copy of the ARSAT-1, the only difference being the payload and thus it has different antenna configuration.[11][2]
The Ku band has 20 physical transponders. Of those, sixteen have a 36 MHz bandwidth and four have 72 MHz. Thus the satellite has a maximum capacity of 864 MHz Ku or 24 transponder equivalent. A 2 m (6.6 ft) deployable antenna and a 1.3 m (4.3 ft) fixed Gregorian antenna.[2]
The C band section has a single 1.6 m (5.2 ft) deployable antenna that is fed by six physical transponders. Four have 72 MHz of bandwidth and the other two have 88 MHz. The total available C Band bandwidth is thus 464 MHz (or 12.9 transponder equivalent).[2]
Launches are separated by dots ( • ), payloads by commas ( , ), multiple names for the same satellite by slashes ( / ). Crewed flights are underlined. Launch failures are marked with the † sign. Payloads deployed from other spacecraft are (enclosed in parentheses).