North American satellite operator and services provider, Hughes, has engaged Arianespace to orbit its powerful Ka-Band broadband satellite, Jupiter. Arianespace it has been selected by Hughes Network Systems, LLC (Hughes) to launch its Ka-Band, high-throughput Jupiter satellite, with the contract calling for a launch during the first half of 2012.

Jupiter will weigh approximately 6,100 kg. at liftoff and will be placed into geostationary transfer orbit by the workhorse Ariane 5 ECA from Europe's Spaceport in French Guiana. Built by Space Systems/Loral for Hughes, the high-throughput Jupiter satellite will deliver HughesNet(r) broadband satellite services in North America, building upon the success of the Hughes SPACEWAY(r) 3 satellite system. This next-generation satellite is designed with a bent-pipe, multi-spot beam, Ka-band architecture that will offer an extraordinary 100+ Gbps of throughput.