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Eutelsat Awards Contract For Hot Bird 8 Broadcast Satellite To EADS Astrium

Amsterdam, 12 September 2003

Eutelsat and EADS ASTRIUM today announced the signature of a contract for the construction the HOT BIRD 8 broadcast satellite which will be launched in early 2006 by Arianespace on-board an Ariane 5 rocket.

With 64 transponders that can be operated simultaneously, of which 58 transponders will operate at full power for most of the satellite’s lifetime, HOT BIRD 8 is the largest satellite yet ordered by Eutelsat. It will join the company’s constellation of HOT BIRD broadcasting satellites at 13 degrees East that provide television, radio and interactive services to almost 100 million cable and satellite homes in Europe, North Africa and the Middle East.

HOT BIRD 8’s mission is to replace existing HOT BIRD capacity and to join HOT BIRD 7A in bringing in-orbit sparing to a level where 13 degrees East can maintain its reputation as one of the most secure multi-satellite video neighbourhoods. The satellite has been designed to cover all 102 Ku-band transponders/frequencies at 13 degrees East which means that it can substitute any transponder on the other HOT BIRD satellites.

Eutelsat CEO Giuliano Berretta said: “This contract, coming six weeks after we ordered HOT BIRD 7A, marks another milestone in our objectives to provide customers with the highest level of performance through a young system of satellites, and to expand back-up facilities at the 13 degrees position, which is the world’s leading broadcasting neighbourhood. It underscores our commitment to supporting the growth of satellite television which reaches into 40 per cent of European households either direct-to-home or by cable”.

Antoine Bouvier, CEO of EADS Astrium, said: “We are extremely pleased that Eutelsat confirms their confidence in the superior reliability of Eurostar and our industrial capability. By ordering for the second time an Eurostar E3000 for their largest satellite ever, they also demonstrate their confidence in EADS Astrium technology".

EADS Astrium, as prime contractor for HOT BIRD 8, will design and build the satellite and supply both the payload and the platform. The spacecraft will have a launch mass of less than 5 tons, a solar array span of 45 metres once deployed in orbit, and a spacecraft solar array power of almost 14 kW at end of life. It will provide commercial services for a minimum of 15 years.

HOT BIRD 8 is based on the E3000 version of the Eurostar family, already ordered by five major satellite operators. 34 Eurostar spacecraft have been ordered to date, of which 23 have already been launched and have proven highly reliable in operational service.
About Eutelsat

With capacity commercialised on 23 satellites that provide coverage from the Americas to the Pacific, Eutelsat S.A. is one of the world's leading satellite operators. Eutelsat's satellite infrastructure gives it the flexibility to offer direct-to-home broadcasting, video distribution and contribution services, corporate network solutions and a portfolio of IP applications including broadband Internet access and Internet backbone connections. From its strategic HOT BIRD orbital position at 13 degrees East and other orbital positions, Eutelsat’s satellites broadcast more than 1,300 television and 800 radio stations and reach an overall audience of 107 million cable and satellite homes.

www.eutelsat.com
About EADS Astrium

EADS Astrium is wholly owned by EADS SPACE. In 2002 EADS SPACE had a turnover of € 2.2 billion and 12.300 employees in France, Germany, the United Kingdom and Spain. EADS Astrium’s satellite business activities cover complete civil and military telecommunications and Earth Observation systems, Science and Navigation programmes, and all spacecraft avionics and equipment.

HOT BIRD 8 technical characteristics

Spacecraft		Eurostar E3000
Main body dimensions	Height: Length: Width:	4.9 m 2.4 m 2.9 m
Solar Array Span deployed		45 m
Launch mass		less than 5 tons
Spacecraft solar array power / End of life		almost 14 kW
Design lifetime		15 years
Orbital position	Geostationary orbit, 13 degrees East longitude
Payload
Frequency band		Ku
Number of transponders	64 transponders operational simultaneously with up to 58 transponders at full power for large part of lifetime
Antennas	· Two 2.4-m diameter deployable reflectors · One 1.5 m diameter fixed reflector
Coverage		Europe, North Africa, Middle East

 

Press Contacts

EADS SPACE (FR)
Rémi Roland
++33 (0) 1 34 88 35 78

EADS SPACE (UK)
Alistair Scott
++44 (0) 1438 77 3698

EADS SPACE (GER)
Mathias Pikelj
++49 (0) 7545 8 91 23