Inqwelomoya ekhethekileyo yafika kwi-Kennedy Space Centre e-Cape Canaveral eFlorida kule mpelaveki: i-Airbus BelugaST (A300-600ST). Yazisa i-Airbus-eyakhelwe i-HOTBIRD 13G satellite ye-Eutelsat.
Oku kwenzeka kwiiyure ezimbalwa emva kokuba iwele layo, i-HOTBIRD 13F, yasungulwa ngempumelelo yi-rocket ye-SpaceX Falcon 9.
I-spacecraft ngamalungu okuqala eentsapho ezintsha ze-"Eurostar Neo" ze-Airbus zonxibelelwano lweesathelayithi, ngokusekelwe kwiqonga lesizukulwana esilandelayo kunye nobuchwepheshe obuphuhliswe ngenkxaso ye-European Space Agency (ESA), kunye nabanye, kubandakanywa neZiko leSizwe d'. I-Etudes Spatiales (CNES) kunye ne-UK Space Agency (UKSA).
Esi siganeko siphawula ixesha lokuqala ukususela ngo-2009 ukuba i-Beluga ityelele e-USA - xa ihambisa i-International Space Station yaseYurophu imodyuli ethi "Tranquility". Kulo msebenzi wamva nje, i-Beluga isebenzise i-30% ye-Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) kwinqwelomoya yayo isuka eToulouse – ebonisa amabhongo e-Airbus' decarbonisation.
"Kuliwonga lokwenyani ukubonisa ngokulandelelana iisathelayithi ezimbini kumthengi wethu u-Eutelsat: iziqwenga ezibini zetekhnoloji yaseYurophu kwiZiko leSikhathi saseKennedy," utshilo uJean-Marc Nasr, iNtloko yeNkqubo yeSithuba e-Airbus. "Ubuchule be-Airbus bokufumana isisombululo saseYurophu esizimeleyo bugxininiswa kukuthuthwa kweesathelayithi zethu kwinqwelomoya eyodwa yaseBeluga - umzekelo wokwenyani we-pan-Airbus synergies!"
Emva kokuba zifikelele kwindawo yazo ye-orbital, ezi satellite zimbini, ezinamandla asebenzayo kunye neenkqubo zokulawula ukushisa kunezo zangaphambili, ziya kukwazi ukusasaza ngaphezu kwe-1,000 iziteshi zikamabonwakude kulo lonke elaseYurophu, eMntla Afrika naseMbindi Mpuma. Ziya kwandisa amandla e-Eutelsat okubonelela ngoqhagamshelwano kubantu abangaphezu kwezigidi ezili-135, njengoko bethatha indawo yesathelayithi ze-Eutelsat ezikwi-orbit ngoku. Ngokufika kwe-BelugaXL entsha, esekwe kwiqonga elikhulu le-A330-200, iinqanawa ze-BelugaST ezikhoyo ngokuqhubekayo zenziwa zifumaneke kwiinkonzo zothutho lwempahla ezingaphandle kwihlabathi jikelele. Ukususela ekuqalisweni kwenkonzo entsha yezoThutho ye-Airbus Beluga ngoJanuwari, i-BelugaST yenze imisebenzi yabathengi abahlukeneyo emhlabeni jikelele.
