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