EDRS-C/HYLAS 3 & Intelsat 39

Built by SSL, Intelsat 39 will provide broadband networking and video distribution services in Africa, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia. It will replace the Intelsat 902 satellite, which was also built by SSL and launched in 2001.

The European Data Relay System (EDRS) system is a European constellation of state-of-the-art GEO satellites that relay information and data between satellites, spacecraft, UAVs, and ground stations. The designers intend the system to provide almost full-time communication, even with satellites in low Earth orbit that often have reduced visibility from ground stations. It makes on-demand data available to, for example, rescue workers who want near-real-time satellite data of a crisis region.