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Eutelsat
awards
W3C
telecom
satellite
to
Thales
Alenia
Space
March
23,
2009
Thales
Alenia
Space
announced
today
the
signature
of a
contract
with
Eutelsat
Communications
(Euronext
Paris:
ETL),
one
of
the
world’s
leading
satellite
operators,
to
manufacture
and
deliver
Eutelsat’s
W3C
communications
satellite.
As
prime
contractor,
Thales
Alenia
Space
will
be
in
charge
of
the
design,
manufacturing,
test
and
delivery
of
the
satellite.
Eutelsat
will
select
the
launcher
for
the
satellite
separately
at a
later
stage.
Planned
for
a
launch
third
quarter
2011,
W3C
will
provide
broadcast
and
telecommunications
services
over
Europe,
the
Middle
East
and
Africa.
The
W3C
order
follows
the
loss
of
W2M
which
will
be
replaced
by
W3B
already
one
year
into
construction
by
Thales
Alenia
Space.
W3B
had
the
dual
mission
of
accompanying
the
expansion
and
in-orbit
redundancy
of
Eutelsat’s
7
degrees
East
position
and
to
ensuring
a
solution
for
continuity
of
service
in
the
event
of
the
loss
of
W2M,
W2A
or
W7.
The
W3C
satellite
will
now
assure
this
double
mission
of
boosting
by
more
than
50 %
available
capacity
at 7
degrees
East,
or
ensuring
if
required
Ku-band
continuity
for
future
satellite,
namely
W2A,
W7
or
W3B.
Based
on
Thales
Alenia
Space
Spacebus
4000C3
platform,
the
satellite
will
be
colocated
at
7°
degrees
East
with
Eutelsat’s
W3A
satellite.
Designed
with
a
lifetime
of
more
than
15
years,
W3C
will
provide
3 Ka
and
53
Ku-band
transponders,
will
feature
a
maximum
launch
mass
of
5.4
tons
and
will
deliver
more
than
12
kW
of
electrical
power
at
end
of
life.
W3C
will
be
equipped
with
3
deployable
and
2
fixed
antennas.
“We
are
very
pleased
to
have
been
selected
once
again
by
Eutelsat
to
provide
this
new
powerful
satellite”
said
Reynald
Seznec
President
and
CEO
of
Thales
Alenia
Space.
“This
new
contract
reinforces
the
long-lasting
partnership
that
exists
between
our
companies
for
more
than
20
years
as
W3C
is
the
19th
satellite
ordered
by
Eutelsat
from
Thales
Alenia
Space.”
Three
other
satellites
are
still
to
be
delivered
by
Thales
Alenia
Space
to
Eutelsat:
W2A
to
be
launched
next
April
3,
W7
and
W3B
to
be
launched
next
summer
and
mid
2010
respectively.
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