Eurobird 4A
Encyclopedia
Eurobird 4A, previously Eutelsat W1 is a French
communications satellite
which is operated by Eutelsat
. It was constructed by Astrium is based on the Eutostar-2000+ satellite bus
. Its launch was contracted by Arianespace
, using an Ariane 4
44P-3 carrier rocket. The launch occurred on 6 September 2000, at 22:33 GMT from ELA-2
at the Guiana Space Centre.
It was originally built as Orion 2 for Orion Network Systems. This was later cancelled when Orion merged with Loral Skynet, who opted to procure satellites from their sister company, Space Systems Loral. It was subsequently sold to Eutelsat as a backup satellite and designated RESSAT. It was subsequently launched in place of the original Eutelsat W1, which was damaged whilst under construction and eventually launched as Eutelsat W5
.
Following its launch and on-orbit testing, it was placed in geostationary orbit
at 10° East, from where it provided broadcast and communications services to Europe using wide-band feeds. In June 2009, it was moved to 4° East, and redesignated Eurobird 4A. It carries twenty eight transponders, and has an expected on-orbit lifespan of 12 years.
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
communications satellite
Communications satellite
A communications satellite is an artificial satellite stationed in space for the purpose of telecommunications...
which is operated by Eutelsat
Eutelsat
Eutelsat S.A. is a French-based satellite provider. Providing coverage over the entire European continent, as well as the Middle East, Africa, India and significant parts of Asia and the Americas, it is one of the world's three leading satellite operators in terms of revenues.Eutelsat’s satellites...
. It was constructed by Astrium is based on the Eutostar-2000+ satellite bus
Satellite bus
A satellite bus or spacecraft bus is the general model on which multiple-production satellite spacecraft are often based. The bus is the infrastructure of a spacecraft, usually providing locations for the payload .They are most commonly used for geosynchronous satellites, particularly...
. Its launch was contracted by Arianespace
Arianespace
Arianespace SA is a French company founded in 1980 as the world's first commercial space transportation company. It undertakes the production, operation, and marketing of the Ariane 5 rocket launcher as part of the Ariane programme....
, using an Ariane 4
Ariane 4
Ariane 4 was an expendable launch system, designed by the Centre National d'Etudes Spatiales and manufactured and marketed by its subsidiary Arianespace. Ariane 4 was justly known as the ‘workhorse’ of the Ariane family. Since its first flight on 15 June 1988 until the last, on 15 February 2003, it...
44P-3 carrier rocket. The launch occurred on 6 September 2000, at 22:33 GMT from ELA-2
ELA-2
ELA-2, short for Ensemble de Lancement Ariane 2 , was a launch pad at the Centre Spatial Guyanais in French Guiana. It was used by Arianespace for all 116 Ariane 4 launches between 1988 and 2003. Following the retirement of the Ariane 4 in favour of the Ariane 5, ELA-2 was deactivated...
at the Guiana Space Centre.
It was originally built as Orion 2 for Orion Network Systems. This was later cancelled when Orion merged with Loral Skynet, who opted to procure satellites from their sister company, Space Systems Loral. It was subsequently sold to Eutelsat as a backup satellite and designated RESSAT. It was subsequently launched in place of the original Eutelsat W1, which was damaged whilst under construction and eventually launched as Eutelsat W5
Eutelsat W5
Eutelsat W5 is a telecommunications satellite owned by Eutelsat Consortium. Eutelsat W5 provides coverage to Western Europe, Central Asia, the Middle East. The satellite can use either 6 steerable beams or 2 fixed beams to provide the coverage...
.
Following its launch and on-orbit testing, it was placed in geostationary orbit
Geostationary orbit
A geostationary orbit is a geosynchronous orbit directly above the Earth's equator , with a period equal to the Earth's rotational period and an orbital eccentricity of approximately zero. An object in a geostationary orbit appears motionless, at a fixed position in the sky, to ground observers...
at 10° East, from where it provided broadcast and communications services to Europe using wide-band feeds. In June 2009, it was moved to 4° East, and redesignated Eurobird 4A. It carries twenty eight transponders, and has an expected on-orbit lifespan of 12 years.