The satellite was delivered for Eutelsat, arriving a few hours after its twin, HOTBIRD 13F, was successfully launched by a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket.
The spacecraft are the first members of the Eurostar Neo family of Airbus telecommunication satellites.
They are based on the next-generation platform and technologies developed with the support of the European Space Agency and others including the Centre National d’Etudes Spatiales and the UK Space Agency.
It was the first time that the Beluga has visited the USA since 2009 when it transported the International Space Station European module “Tranquility”.
For the flight, the Beluga used 30% Sustainable Aviation Fuel for its departure flight from Toulouse.
Calling it an honour to transport the technology to the Kennedy Space Center, Jean-Marc Nasr, Head of Space Systems at Airbus, says, “The ability of Airbus to field an autonomous European solution is underscored by the transportation of our satellites in the unique Beluga aircraft – a true example of pan-Airbus synergies!”
Once the satellites reach their orbital position, they will be able to broadcast more than 1,000 television channels across Europe, North Africa and the Middle East.