The giant aircraft is expected to make a brief refueling stop at St. John's International Airport (YYT) before continuing on to Florida, where the spacecraft is scheduled to launch.
This is not the first time Airbus has participates in the transportation of the satellite with the help of “Beluga”. Last October, Airbus Beluga was used to deliver another satellite, Eutelsat.
And in 2009, the aircraft was useful for transporting one of the modules of the International Space Station. The Beluga did not fly to the US again until 2022.
Airbus Beluga was introduced in 1995 as a modified version of the A300 designed to carry bulky cargo such as helicopters, airplane wings and spacecraft. Equipped with a unique flip-up cargo door, the aircraft is one of the largest aircraft in the world.
Given that oversized cargo is an extremely niche category, Airbus has only produced five Belugas. In addition, the company expects to replace all five Belugas in the coming years. successor to the Beluga XL.