EUTELSAT 115 West B satellite gears up for launch

First all-electric satellite on track for 1 March launch by SpaceX on a Falcon 9

PARIS & MEXICO CITY — EUTELSAT 115 West B, the first all-electric satellite for Eutelsat Communications (Paris:ETL) (NYSE Euronext Paris: ETL), is scheduled for launch by SpaceX using the Falcon 9 rocket on 1 March (22.49 – 23.34 EST, 03.49 – 04.34 UTC). Built by Boeing Defense and Space, Eutelsat’s latest satellite arrived in Cape Canaveral on 25 January.

Equipped with 12 C-band and 34 Ku-band transponders connected to four service areas, EUTELSAT 115 West B will extend reach of the Americas to markets in Alaska and Canada, replacing the EUTELSAT 115 West A satellite that operates in inclined orbit at 114.9° West. The new satellite will focus in particular on serving clients providing data services, including broadband access, cellular backhaul, VSAT solutions and social connectivity.

Patricio Northland, CEO of Eutelsat Americas, said: “The launch of the next-generation EUTELSAT 115 West B satellite is a milestone that will position us as a major satellite operator across the continent. It will transform the 114.9° West orbital position that is already a neighbourhood of choice for fast-growing high-speed data and mobility markets in North and South America.”

Using electric propulsion for in-orbit raising, EUTELSAT 115 West B will enter service in the fourth quarter of 2015. It will be followed into orbit later this year by the all-electric EUTELSAT 117 West B satellite that will be located at 117° West to boost capacity for Latin America broadcast markets.

The third pillar in Eutelsat’s expansion in the Americas will be EUTELSAT 65 West A that is scheduled for launch in 2016 in advance of the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. It will feature high-power coverage of Brazil and Latin America in C, Ku and Ka-bands.