Global aerospace group Orbital ATK has won a deal from Eutelsat Communications to build a broadcast satellite, Eutelsat 5 West B.

To be built in collaboration with Airbus Defence and Space, the satellite will be developed using Orbital ATK’s GEOStar satellite platform.

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Airbus Defence and Space will provide the communications payload of 35 active Ku-band channels for Eutelsat 5 West B.

"The satellite is scheduled to be designed, built and tested at Orbital ATK’s satellite manufacturing facility in Dulles, Virginia, US."

Set to be launched under a multi-launch agreement (MLA) announced last year between ILS and Eutelsat, the mission will be accompanied by Eutelsat’s first Mission Extension Vehicle (MEV), satellite, MEV-1.

In a single mission, ILS will launch both Eutelsat 5 West B and MEV-1 satellites aboard its Proton vehicle in 2018.

Orbital ATK commercial satellite business vice president Amer Khouri said: “With Airbus Defence and Space providing the payload and Orbital ATK using our flight-proven bus design, we are confident the team will deliver a high-quality broadcast satellite.”

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The satellite is scheduled to be designed, built and tested at Orbital ATK’s satellite manufacturing facility in Dulles, Virginia, US.

To be launched from Baikonur Cosmodrome in Russia, Eutelsat 5 West B will provide services for a period of more than 15 years.

Once launched, the satellite will replace Eutelsat’s existing satellite positioned at 5° West longitude orbit.

It will mainly provide video across the Europe and North African market.

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