International Launch Services (ILS) successfully launched Eutelsat‘s W7 satellite Nov. 24 from the Baikonour Cosmodrome, in Kazakhstan.
Thales Alenia Space is the prime contractor of the spacecraft that will deliver services at the 36 degrees East longitude orbital position.
Based on the Thales Alenia Space powerful Spacebus 4000 C4 design, W7 has a launch mass of 5.6 tons. The satellite is equipped with up to 70 Ku-band transponders connected to five high-performance fixed and steerable beams serving Europe, Russia, Africa, the Middle East and Central Asia.
Co-positioned with Eutelsat’s W4 satellite, which already serves anchor pay-TV operators in Russia, the Ukraine and sub-Saharan Africa, W7 will enable Eutelsat to double the resources available for digital video and telecommunications services in those regions.
While replacing all the SESAT 1 capacity over Europe, North Africa, the Middle East and Central Asia, W7 will also offer new resources over southern Africa through a high-power fixed beam. It also has a steerable beam that is ideally suited for DTH applications.
With a payload power of 13.2 kW, W7 will be Eutelsat’s most powerful satellite to date and has a lifetime expectancy of at least 15 years.
“We are proud to have delivered a satellite at the cutting edge of innovation and W7 will be our most powerful in Eutelsat’s fleet so far,” Emmanuel Grave, executive vice president of telecommunication at Thales Alenia Space, said. “Also its configuration of high-performance and flexibility is a first. As a long-standing partner to the European operator Eutelsat, we are totally committed to supporting them in their sustainable future growth by delivering technologies with outstanding performance.”