MEASAT-3b has been launched

The Ariane 5 rocket which carried the MEASAT-3b satellite was launched from the European Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana.

It lifted off at 6.05am Friday (Malaysian time).

Measat Satellite Systems Chief Executive Officer, Paul Brown-Kenyon, had earlier said that the MEASAT-3b is Malaysia’s most sophisticated satellite launched by MEASAT.

The satellite was built through the cooperation between MEASAT, Airbus Defence and Space and Arianespace.

MEASAT-3b is equipped with 48 powerful Ku-Band transponders which will widen the Direct-To-User (DTU) service and the V-sat service which covers Malaysia, Indonesia, India and Australia.

Apart from the MEASAT-3b, the Ariane 5 rocket will also deploy the Australian satellite, Optus 10.