SpaceX successfully launched the Es’hail-2 satellite on Thursday, from Launch Complex 39A (LC-39A) at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

Liftoff occurred at 3:46 p.m. EST, or 20:46 UTC, and the satellite was deployed to a geostationary transfer orbit (GTO) about 32 minutes after liftoff.

Falcon 9’s first stage for the Es’hail-2 mission previously supported the Telstar 19 VANTAGE mission in July 2018. Following stage separation, SpaceX landed Falcon 9’s first stage on the "Of Course I Still Love You" droneship, which was stationed in the Atlantic Ocean.

The Es’hail-2 satellite is based on the Mitsubishi Electric (MELCO) DS 2000 satellite bus, a proven, modular platform with high power capability and flexibility for a broad range of applications.

In addition to offering Ku-band resources to support the growing 25.5⁰E / 26.0°E broadcast neighborhood, Es’hail-2 also features multi-transponder Ka-band capacity, providing business and government sectors with secure communications across the Middle East and North Africa region.

Following completion of in-orbit tests, the satellite is scheduled to be delivered to Doha-based Qatar Satellite Company (Es’hailSat) in January 2019. Es’hailSat will offer a portfolio of broadcast and VSAT services to support business growth.