Thor 8 is a multi-purpose communications satellite for Space Norway. The satellite will both replace older satellites being phased out in the coming years and provide increased capacity and service offerings that offers capacity for both data services and broadcasting, such as high power direct-to-home (DTH) television services, from the 1° West orbital position. It carries two dedicated payloads for broadcasting in Europe and the Nordics, as well as payloads for data services to commercial and governmental customers. With a launch mass of 4 metric tons, the satellite will be built on Thales Alenia Space’s Spacebus-4000B2 platform and will operate in the Ka and Ku frequency bands.

Falcon 9 is a two-stage rocket designed and manufactured by SpaceX for the reliable and safe transport of satellites and the Dragon spacecraft into orbit. The Block 5 variant is the fifth major interval aimed at improving upon the ability for rapid reusability.

Space Exploration Technologies Corp., known as SpaceX, is an American aerospace manufacturer and space transport services company headquartered in Hawthorne, California. It was founded in 2002 by entrepreneur Elon Musk with the goal of reducing space transportation costs and enabling the colonization of Mars. SpaceX operates from many pads, on the East Coast of the US they operate from SLC-40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station and historic LC-39A at Kennedy Space Center. They also operate from SLC-4E at Vandenberg Space Force Base, California, usually for polar launches. Another launch site is being developed at Boca Chica, Texas.