On 22 March Hispasat’s Amazonas 4 satellite was successfully launched from Kourou spaceport in French Guiana.

Built by Orbital on a Star 2 platform, Amazonas 4A is Hispasat’s response to Latin America’s growing demand for satellite capability, especially satellite-television platforms.

GMV has developed the satellite’s flight dynamics system and its monitoring and control system. Both systems have been built up from GMV’s focusGEO and hifly^® products, already being used for satellites Amazonas 1, 2, 3, and H1E.

The project has included installation of new ground stations in the control centers of Arganda del Rey, Maspalomas and Rio de Janeiro. These ground stations will monitor the state of the new satellite and send the necessary instructions and commands. The satellites’ in-orbit tracking systems will also be updated.

GMV has provided the flight dynamics system, built up from focusGEO, the benchmark orbital operations product for the rest of Hispasat’s fleet. The contract is rounded out with the satellite monitoring-and-control system using the hifly^® product, GMV’s commercial solution for real-time satellite management.