Galaxy 31 is a commercial geostationary spacecraft operated by Intelsat at orbital position 121.0° W. Built on the SSL 1300 platform by Space Systems Loral. Three frequency bands simultaneously — C, Ku and Ka — enable service to a wide range of clients: from media broadcasters to government agencies. For satellite dish owners in Ukraine, the satellite is primarily of academic interest: the antenna elevation angle for most regions of the country is either critically low or negative.
Launch and Purpose
Falcon 9 rocket deployed Galaxy 31 to orbit in 2021 from Cape Canaveral spaceport. The spacecraft replaced Galaxy 23R at the same 121° W position — Intelsat clients received service continuity without equipment reconfiguration. Designed operational lifetime is 15 years. The SSL 1300 platform is well-established in the industry: high transponder power and proven reliability in long-duration missions.
Coverage Zones and Reception in Ukraine
All Galaxy 31 beams are oriented towards the American continent and the Caribbean region. Signal reception from the 121° W position is physically impossible across most of Ukraine. In the westernmost districts — theoretically possible, but only with a 1.8 to 2.4 m antenna and under ideal horizon conditions. In practice, even under such conditions, the signal will be unstable: the antenna elevation angle is so low that any obstruction on the horizon or dense cloud cover will completely block it.
| Beam | Coverage | Antenna Diameter (Ukraine) |
|---|---|---|
| North America | USA, Canada, Mexico | Reception unavailable |
| Central America | Central American countries | Reception unavailable |
| South America | Brazil, Argentina and others | Reception unavailable |
| Caribbean | Caribbean islands | Reception unavailable |
Frequency Bands and Transponder Capacity
C band is the foundation of regional coverage. It is resistant to rain attenuation, so it is traditionally used where reliability is more important than throughput. Ku band is oriented towards direct broadcasting and corporate VSAT networks. Ka provides broadband internet with high throughput — this band is most in demand among new Intelsat clients in North America. In the sathub database, 1 active transponder and 18 channels are currently recorded — this is the current monitoring snapshot, data is regularly updated.
Television Packages and Open Channels
Galaxy 31 is not a broadcast satellite in the classical sense. Primary profile: fixed and mobile satellite communications, corporate channels, government communications. Among recorded services are transmissions for North America and closed conditional access packages. There are no open FTA channels accessible from Ukraine — not due to technical limitations of a specific transponder, but simply due to the absence of coverage as such.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Can Galaxy 31 be received in Ukraine?
- In most of Ukraine — no. In the extreme western districts, reception with a 1.8–2.4 m antenna is theoretically possible, but the elevation angle is so low that achieving stable signal in practice is extremely difficult.
- What platform is used for Galaxy 31?
- SSL 1300 by Space Systems Loral with a designed operational lifetime of 15 years.
- How does Galaxy 31 differ from Galaxy 23R?
- Galaxy 31 is a direct replacement for Galaxy 23R at the same 121° W position. The key difference is three frequency bands (C, Ku, Ka) versus the previous configuration, which significantly expands the service spectrum.
- What services does Galaxy 31 provide?
- Broadband internet, fixed and mobile satellite communications, corporate networks and media transmissions for North and South America, the Caribbean basin and Central America.