Press release -
EUTELSAT 65 West A satellite speeds into space
Photo : Courtesy of Arianespace
Multi-mission satellite to deliver premier coverage of Brazil and Latin America
Kourou, Paris, 9 March 2016 – The successful lift-off of the Ariane rocket carrying the EUTELSAT 65 West A satellite into space lit up the night sky today in Kourou, French Guiana. The Ariane launcher ferrying Eutelsat’s newest satellite into space took off on 9 March at 02.20 (05.20 UTC) and delivered EUTELSAT 65 West A into its transfer orbit after a 27-minute flight.
Manoeuvres to fully deploy the solar panels of the 6.5 tonne satellite built by SSL took place on time four hours later. Over the coming days the apogee motor will be fired four times to complete the ascent to geostationary orbit, after which antennas will be fully deployed. Following a series of performance tests EUTELSAT 65 West A will enter full commercial service at 65° West in early May.
Rodolphe Belmer, CEO of Eutelsat, said: “The launch of EUTELSAT 65 West A is a new milestone in the expansion of our Americas footprint. Through a combination of coverage zones and frequency bands it is uniquely placed to respond to the varying requirements of a diverse range of clients. Our thanks go to Arianespace for another flawless ride into space, our 31st by Ariane, and to SSL for its advanced delivery of a sophisticated satellite programme.”
EUTELSAT 65 West A is a tri-band satellite designed to target fast-growing markets across Latin America. Its high-power Ku-band payload is optimised for Direct-to-Home reception and corporate connectivity in Brazil as well as corporate connectivity in Central America, the Caribbean and the Andean region. EUTELSAT 65 West A also features a transatlantic C-band coverage for cross-continental video contribution and distribution and a multi-spotbeam Ka-band payload that will promote broadband access across Latin America, notably Brazil, Mexico, Colombia and Peru.
The satellite will be followed into orbit in a few weeks by the all-electric EUTELSAT 117 West B satellite that will be located at 117° West to boost capacity for Latin America broadcast markets.
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About Eutelsat Communications
Established in 1977, Eutelsat Communications (Euronext Paris: ETL, ISIN code: FR0010221234) is one of the world's leading and most experienced operators of communications satellites. The company provides capacity on 40 satellites to clients that include broadcasters and broadcasting associations, pay-TV operators, video, data and Internet service providers, enterprises and government agencies.
Eutelsat’s satellites provide ubiquitous coverage of Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia-Pacific and the Americas, enabling video, data, broadband and government communications to be established irrespective of a user’s location.
Headquartered in Paris, with offices and teleports around the globe, Eutelsat represents a workforce of 1,000 men and women from 37 countries who are experts in their fields and work with clients to deliver the highest quality of service.
For more about Eutelsat please visit www.eutelsat.com
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