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Eutelsat W2, W3 (W6), W5 / Eutelsat 21A → 48C, 70A → 25C → 33B

Eutelsat W2 [Alcatel]

The W satellites are designed to provide telecommunications services primarily over Europe (Eutelsat W2, W3 and W5) and communication services over Russia and Africa (W4). W2, W3 and W5 are designed to offer 24 transponders at saturation and W4 is designed to provide 31 transponders at saturation. The W satellites have a minimum operational lifetime of 12 years. The spacecraft are based on the Spacebus-3000B2 platform.

The original W1 satellite was damaged during construction by a malfuncioning fire extinguishing system. It was declared a total loss, but was later reconstructed and completed as W5. The replacement for the W1, which was to be named W1R was reconfigured before launch and finally launched as Eurobird 1.

Eutelsat W2 stopped broadcasting in January 2010 and was moved to a graveyard orbit in March 2010.

Eutelsat W5 suffered in 2008 the loss of one of its solar arrays due to the array's failed drive motor, leading to a switch-off of 4 of the 24 transponders.

In December 2011 Eutelsat announced, that their satellite assets will be renamed under a unified brand name effective from March 2012. W5 and W6 became Eutelsat 70A and Eutelsat 21A respectively. Eutelsat 70A was later renamed Eutelsat 25C and Eutelsat 21A became Eutelsat 48C.

Nation: International
Type / Application: Communication
Operator: Eutelsat
Contractors: Alcatel Space
Equipment: 24 (+10) Ku-band teansponders
Configuration: Spacebus-3000B2
Propulsion: S400
Power: 2 deployable solar arrays, batteries
Lifetime: 12 years
Mass: 2965 kg (#2); 3180 kg (#3); 3170 kg (#5); 1810 kg (BOL)
Orbit: GEO
Satellite COSPAR Date LS Launch Vehicle Remarks
Eutelsat W1R - reordered Eurobird 1
Eutelsat W2 1998-056A 05.10.1998 Ko ELA-2 Ariane-44L H10-3 with Sirius 3
Eutelsat W3 → Eutelsat W6 → Eutelsat 21A 1999-018A 12.04.1999 CC SLC-36A Atlas-2AS
Eutelsat W5 → Eutelsat 70A → Eutelsat 25C → Eutelsat 33B (ex Eutelsat W1) 2002-051A 20.11.2002 CC SLC-37B Delta-4M+(4,2)
Further Eutelsat W missions:
Further Eutelsat missions:

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