Eutelsat W3B, W3C

 

Eutelsat W3B [Thales Alenia]

In February 2008 Thales Alenia Space has been awarded a contract to design, manufacture and deliver a satellite for Eutelsat. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

The Eutelsat W3B satellite, based on Thales’ Spacebus-4000C3 platform, will be equipped with two fixed and three deployable antennas and will provide 3 Ka- and 53 Ku-band transponders.

W3B was be colocated at 7° east with Eutelsat’s W3A satellite and will provide broadcast and telecommunications services across Europe, the Middle East and Africa. But following the loss of W2M shortly after launch, W3B will take W2M's place to replace the aging W2 satellite

As a replacement for W3B's original mission at 7° east, Eutelsat ordered in March 2009 the identical Eutelsat W3C satellite.

 

Nation: International
Type / Application: Communication
Operator: Eutelsat
Contractors: Thales Alenia
Equipment: 53 Ku- and 3 Ka-band transponders
Configuration: Spacebus-4000C3
Propulsion: ?
Lifetime: 15 years
Mass: 5400 kg
Orbit: GEO

 

Satellite Date LS   Launcher Remarks:
Eutelsat W3B 2010 Ko ELA-3 Ariane-5ECA with ?
Eutelsat W3C 2011 Xi CZ-3B/E

  

Further Eutelsat missions:

Last update: 27.09.2009
Contact: gunter.krebs@skyrocket.de
© Gunter Dirk Krebs