Press release -
EUTELSAT 8 West B satellite lands in Kourou spaceport and preps for Ariane 5 launch on 20 August
EUTELSAT 8 West B satellite shipment at Nice airport (France) to Europe's spaceport in Kourou (French Guiana) in an Antonov aircraft_Credit Thales Alenia Space_D826348.jpg
Kourou, Paris, 20 July 2015 – Eutelsat Communications (NYSE Euronext Paris: ETL) announces that its latest satellite, EUTELSAT 8 West B,has arrived at the European spaceport in French Guiana and is now in final stages of preparation for launch by an Ariane 5 rocket on 20 August.
EUTELSAT 8 West B is poised to open a new chapter of expansion in vibrant broadcast markets in the Middle East and North Africa. It will shore up the 7/8° West position, hosting Eutelsat and Nilesat satellites that is the point of reference for TV viewing in over 52 million homes from Morocco to the Gulf. With the launch of this new satellite, Eutelsat is ensuring that bandwidth is available for broadcasters to deliver High Definition today and the immersive viewing experience of Ultra HD in the future.
Built for Eutelsat by Thales Alenia Space, the 5.8 tonne satellite is equipped with 40 operational Ku-band transponders optimised to serve DTH markets in North Africa and the Middle East. It will also introduce a C-band mission of 10 operational transponders connected to a vast footprint covering the African continent and reaching west to South America.
The launch is scheduled for 20 August during a launch window opening at 8:10 pm UTC and closing at 12:56 am UTC on 21 August. The satellite will go into full commercial service early October following checks to validate its performance in orbit.
For more information on Ariane Flight VA225 consult www.arianespace.com.
Photos of EUTELSAT 8 West B are available on Flickr.
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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 37 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 32 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
Press
Vanessa O’Connor Tel: + 33 1 53 98 37 91
voconnor@eutelsat.com
Marie-Sophie Ecuer Tel: + 33 1 53 98 37 91
mecuer@eutelsat.com
Investors and analysts
Joanna Darlington Tel. : +33 1 53 98 35 30
jdarlington@eutelsat.com
Cédric Pugni Tel. : +33 1 53 98 35 30
cpugni@eutelsat.com
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