Spacecraft n°: |
EUTELSAT spacecraft n°: 30 |
Also called: Eurobird 9A
Launch data:
| Designation | 28946 / 06007B (28945/A?) |
| Launch date | 11 Mar 2006 - 22:33 UT |
| Launch site | Ko, ELA-3 |
| Launch vehicle |
Ariane-5ECA (V-170) |
| Mission | Commercial: Communication (Direct Broadcasting) |
| Geostationary orbit: |
| Perigee / Apogee | 35775 x 35799 km |
| Eccentricity | 2,85E-04 |
| Inclination | 0.07° |
| Period | 1436.1 min |
|
|
Spacecraft data:
| Prime contractor | Alcatel Alenia Space (formely Acatel Space) |
| Platform | Alcatel Spacebus-3000B3 |
| Operator | EUTELSAT |
| Mass at launch | 4100 kg |
| Dry Mass | 1740 kg |
| Basic shape | |
| Dimension (m) | |
| Solar array | span of 36.9 m |
| Propulsion | Astrium S400 apogee engine |
| DC power | 10000 W |
| Equipment | 38 Ku Band transponders |
| Design lifetime | 15 yrs - still active |
|
Location:
| Begin | Position | Remarks |
| | ° | |
| ~16 Feb 2009 | 12 °E | manoeuvred off-station, drifting to W |
| July 2010 | 30.01° W | |
|
Description:
Alcatel Space won in July 2003 a contract for the construction of the Hotbird
7A communications satellite. The order for this new satellite follows the loss
of Hotbird 7
during launch in December 2002. In addition to the original specifications,
Hotbird 7A′s mission has been expanded to provide additional back-up and
replacement capacity at Eutelsat's key orbital slot, 13 degrees East. This
expanded mission has led to the choice of a larger, more flexible satellite
platform than for the original version.
Hotbird 7A will be based on Alcatel Space′s Spacebus-3000B3
platform. After launch, the new satellite will
join Eutelsat's Hotbird family of satellites co-located at the 13 degree East
slot and reaching 100 million houses, and currently broadcasting 676 video
channels and 565 audio channels. Equipped with 38 Ku-band transponders of 33 MHz
minimum each (end of life), Hotbird 7A will replace Hotbird 1. The
other 20 transponders will be available for potential back-up and replacement
capacity for the Hotbird 2, 3 and
4 satellites.
Mission details:
- Ariane vehicle 527 was launched on Mar 11, 2006 on flight V170 carrying
Eutelsat's HotBird 7A and Hisdesat′s Spainsat. The EPC core stage flew
into a -1141 x 158 km x 6.8 deg orbit, and fell back to Earth. The ESC-A
upper stage made a single burn to a 270 x 35748 km x 5.0 deg GTO.
- By Mar 16 2006 HB7A was in a 34124 x 35761 km
x 0.1 deg near-geostationary orbit drifting over the Atlantic
Astrophilately covers:
