Eutelsat Communications and Arianespace today announced the signature of a contract for the launch of the W2M satellite. The satellite will be launched by an Ariane 5 in the second quarter of 2008 from the Guiana Space Center, Europe’s Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana.

The new contract consolidates a collaboration between the two companies which has lasted more than 22 years: the European launcher has orbited more than half of Eutelsat’s fleet. The contract is the 274th won by Arianespace since being founded in March 1980.

W2M will be built by a new industrial consortium grouping EADS Astrium and ISRO (Indian Space Research Organization). It will operate typically 26 transponders in Ku-band and up to 32 depending on operational modes for a designed operational lifetime of 15 years. Eutelsat’s new satellite is designed to provide additional security for customers and can be deployed at a number of orbital positions used by the W satellites, in particular the 10 degrees East position.

Like all Eutelsat satellites in the W series, W2M displays great flexibility to operate a wide range of services from television broadcasting to data networks and broadband. In addition to a fixed beam coverage taking in Europe, North Africa and the Middle East, it will carry one steerable beam which can be re-oriented in orbit according to market requirements and notably towards Africa and central Asia, consolidating Eutelsat’s high levels of commercial flexibility.

Commenting on this new contract, Arianespace CEO Jean-Yves Le Gall said: “I would especially like to thank Eutelsat for their renewed confidence in us, with the W2M launch contract. Arianespace is particularly proud of this close-knit partnership that we have had for more than 20 years. This contract with one of the world’s benchmark satellite operators is further recognition of the top quality of the Ariane launch system.”

“Following the successful launch in March by an Ariane 5 ECA of our HOT BIRDTM 7A broadcast satellite, we are extremely pleased to entrust the launch of W2M to Arianespace”, said Giuliano Berretta, Eutelsat CEO “Arianespace continues to provide Eutelsat with quality service and full reliability. It is on the basis of these criteria that it is our choice for launching the W2M satellite which will bring further versatility to our in-orbit resource.”

Aaron Lewis
Director of Media and Government Relations
Arianespace, Inc.
601 13th St. NW 710 North
Washington D.C. 20005

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