BAIKONOUR, Kazakhstan and
PARIS, May
15, 2013 /PRNewswire/ --
The EUTELSAT 3D satellite of Eutelsat Communications (Euronext
Paris: ETL) has been successfully launched by a Proton Breeze M
rocket supplied by ILS and is now on its way to its operating
location at 3° East.
Lift-off of the satellite, built by Thales Alenia Space,
took place on 14 May at 16.02 GMT (18.02 CET). Following a 9-hour
13-minute flight, Proton released EUTELSAT 3D into geosynchronous
transfer orbit. The partial deployment of the satellite's solar
panels was successfully carried out from Eutelsat's control centre
in Rambouillet three hours and 15 minutes after separation from the
rocket.
Eutelsat also announces that it has signed a new launch contract
with ILS for a satellite to be launched in the 2014-2016 timeframe.
This will be the eighth satellite to be launched for Eutelsat by
the Proton launcher.
Michel de Rosen, Eutelsat CEO,
said: "We are delighted to confirm that EUTELSAT 3D
is on its way to 3° East. From next
month, this new satellite will take service at
3° East to a new level in advance of the launch in
2014 of EUTELSAT 3B. Our thanks to
Thales Alenia Space for
delivering our new satellite and to ILS and
Khrunichev for this flight which maintains our track record of 100%
success since our first Proton launch in 2000. We are pleased to
renew our confidence in the powerful Proton launcher with a new
contract that gives us
the scope to increaseouroperational
agility, a key asset in our
business."
ILS President Phil Slack added:
"The Proton vehicle and Eutelsat partnership dates back
13 years starting with the SESAT 1 launch on Proton in 2000.
After seven launches, including the
50th ILS Proton launch in 2009 with
the EUTELSAT 10A satellite, we are honoured that
Eutelsat continues to place their trust in us to enable the
expansion of their business. Many thanks to the Eutelsat, Thales
Alenia Space, Khrunichev and ILS teams for ensuring mission success
with the launch of EUTELSAT 3D."
With a baseline design equipping it to strengthen Eutelsat's
overall in-orbit flexibility and back-up from multiple orbital
slots, EUTELSAT 3D will be initially located at 3° East to address
high-growth video, data, telecom and broadband markets. It will
serve customers in Europe,
North Africa, the Middle East and Central Asia through a configuration of Ku and
Ka transponders connected to three footprints. A fourth service
area in the Ku-band will serve markets in sub-Saharan Africa.
EUTELSAT 3D will operate at 3° East until the deployment of the
EUTELSAT 3B satellite to this position in 2014 to provide spectrum
growth and high levels of operational flexibility in C, Ku and Ka
bands. It will subsequently continue service at 7° East.
EUTELSAT 3D was built for Eutelsat by Thales Alenia Space using
its established Spacebus 4000 platform. The satellite is designed
to operate in orbit for 15 years.
About Eutelsat Communications
Eutelsat Communications is the holding company of Eutelsat S.A.
With capacity commercialised on 30 satellites delivering reach of
Europe, the Middle East,
Africa, Asia, significant parts of the Americas and
the Asia-Pacific, Eutelsat
Communications (Euronext Paris: ETL, ISIN code: FR0010221234) is
one of the world's leading satellite operators. As of 31 March 2013, Eutelsat's satellites were
broadcasting more than 4,600 television channels to over 200
million cable and satellite homes in Europe, the Middle
East and Africa. The
Group's satellites also provide a wide range of services for TV
contribution, corporate networks and fixed and mobile broadband
markets. Headquartered in Paris,
Eutelsat and its subsidiaries employ over 780 commercial, technical
and operational professionals from 30 countries.
http://www.eutelsat.com
SOURCE Eutelsat Communications
