Arianespace and Eutelsat sign launch contract
for the new e-BirdT satellite, which is optimized for broadband access.
This latest successful flight confirms the technical and operational
maturity of Europe’s Ariane 5, which is now widely recognized as the
reference heavy-lift launch vehicle in the global space industry.
The mission’s EurobirdTM payload was the 14th satellite launched for
Eutelsat by Ariane. Arianespace has two more Eutelsat satellites on its
orderbook.
BSAT-2a was the third satellite to be orbited by Arianespace for the
Japanese Broadcasting Satellite System Corporation, following BSAT-1a on
Flight 95 and BSAT-1b on Flight 108. It also is the 15th Japanese satellite
launched by Ariane. Out of 24 commercial satellite launch contracts open for
competitive bid in Japan, Arianespace has won 18. A second satellite,
BSAT-2b, is scheduled for launch mid-2001.
e-BirdT will be lofted by an Ariane 5 in the second quarter of 2002 from
Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana. It will be positioned in geostationary
orbit at 25.5 degrees East, above Central Africa.
Built by Boeing Satellite Systems, this satellite will be optimized for IP
access networks with satellite return link capacity. It will provide 20
active Ku-band transponders with coverage over the European region through
four spot beams. e-BirdT will have an operating lifetime of about 10 years.
Following the contract signature, Jean-Marie Luton said: “I am pleased to
sign such a contract after the successful launch of EurobirdT. I take this
as a symbol of our long cooperation built with Eutelsat. This continued
confidence on the part of Eutelsat, one of the world’s leading satellite
operators, brings Arianespace further recognition of the quality and
excellence of our Ariane launch service.”
This is the 17th launch contract that Arianespace and Eutelsat have signed.
Arianespace has two more Eutelsat satellites on its orderbook: Atlantic
BirdT 2 and Hot BirdT 6.
With this new contract, Arianespace’s backlog now stands at 46 satellites to
be launched (37 satellites plus 9 ATV launches for the International Space
Station).
