Eutelsat 36B
Eutelsat 36B (formerly Eutelsat W7) is a communications satellite in the W Series operated by Eutelsat. It is co-located with Eutelsat's 36A satellite at 36°E. It was launched on November 23, 2009 14:19 GMT, by a Proton rocket.[1]
| Names | Eutelsat W7 (2009-12) Eutelsat 36B (2012—) |
|---|---|
| Mission type | Communications |
| Operator | Eutelsat |
| COSPAR ID | 2009-065A |
| SATCAT no. | 36101 |
| Mission duration | 15 years |
| Spacecraft properties | |
| Bus | Spacebus-4000C4 |
| Manufacturer | Thales Alenia Space |
| Launch mass | 5,627 kilograms (12,405 lb) |
| Start of mission | |
| Launch date | 24 November 2009, 14:19:10 UTC |
| Rocket | Proton-M/Briz-M |
| Launch site | Baikonur 200/39 |
| Contractor | International Launch Services |
| Orbital parameters | |
| Reference system | Geocentric |
| Regime | Geostationary |
| Longitude | 36° east |
| Transponders | |
| Band | 70 Ku-band |
| Coverage area | Europe Central Asia Middle East Africa Russia |
Manufactured by Thales Alenia Space in its Cannes Mandelieu Space Center, based on a Spacebus 4000C4 platform, it features up to 74 Ku band transponders (12 kW), a weight of about 5.5 tons, and has a lifetime of about 15 years (up to 2024).
36B is one of the most powerful spacecraft in the fleet of Eutelsat. The craft can be configured to have up to 70 Ku band transponders during its 15-year mission. Digital broadcasting and direct-to-home video services will be beamed to customers in Russia and sub-Saharan Africa using 36B.
The new satellite replaced all the capacity on the SESAT 1 (now Eutelsat 16C) platform, which was redeployed to 16°E after nearly 10 years of operations at 36°E.
36B's communications payload is connected to five downlink beams for Europe, Russia, Africa, the Middle East, and Central Asia.
References
- Stephen Clark, Another Proton rocket mission ends in success, Spaceflight Now, November 24, 2009, on line www.spaceflightnow.com