Eutelsat 3D

Eutelsat 3D
Mission typeCommunications
OperatorEutelsat
COSPAR ID2013-022A Edit this at Wikidata
SATCAT no.39163
Mission duration15 years (planned) [1]
Spacecraft properties
BusSpacebus 4000[1]
ManufacturerThales Alenia Space[1]
Launch mass5,470 kilograms (12,060 lb)[2]
Start of mission
Launch date14 May 2013, 16:02 (2013-05-14UTC16:02Z) UTC
RocketProton-M/Briz-M[2]
Launch siteBaikonur Cosmodrome 200/39[2]
ContractorInternational Launch Services
Orbital parameters
Reference systemGeocentric
RegimeGeostationary
Longitude3° east[1]
Perigee altitude35,782 kilometres (22,234 mi)[3]
Apogee altitude35,805 kilometres (22,248 mi)[3]
Inclination0.05 degrees[3]
Period1436.14 minutes (23.935 hrs)[3]
Epoch24 January 2015, 05:09:19 UTC[3]
Transponders
Band56 Ka and Ku transponders
Instruments
Transponders, Footprints, and Frequency Bands

Eutelsat 3D is a communications satellite operated by Eutelsat, which will provide services to Europe, North Africa, the Middle East and Central Asia. It will initially be located at 3° E in geosynchronous orbit in a fixed point above the equator, where Eutelsat already has two satellites, Eutelsat 3A and Eutelsat 3C. Once Eutelsat 3B is launched in 2014 this satellite will be moved to 7°E.

The satellite has four footprints and broadcasts on both the Ka band and the Ku band. Three footprints will serve Europe, the Middle East, Central Asia and North Africa in both Ka and Ku bands. The fourth footprint will cover sub-Saharan Africa but only in Ku band. It will have 56 transponders in total. The satellite was built by Thales Alenia Space using their spacebus 4000 satellite bus.[1][4]

The satellite was launched by International Launch Services from pad 39 at Site 200 at Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. The launch used a Proton-M rocket with a Briz-M upper stage. The first three stages of the Proton fire for the first 9 minutes, 42 seconds. After that the Briz-M upper stage takes over with five separate burns until the spacecraft separates from the upper stage 9 hours and 13 minutes after launch.[5]

The satellite launched on 14 May 2013 at 16:02 UTC and was successfully placed into geostationary transfer orbit.[6] It was given the International Designator 2013-022A and the US satellite catalog reference 39163.[7]

Eutelsat name their satellites after their locations so it is likely that this satellite will change name when it is moved. Eutelsat 3C used to be called Atlantic Bird 4A when it was located at 7°W. It was renamed to 3C when it moved to 3°E. Eutelsat 3A was likewise renamed when it moved.[8][9]

  1. ^ a b c d e Cite error: The named reference eu-pr was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ a b c Cite error: The named reference ils2 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ a b c d e "EUTE 3D Satellite details 2013-022A NORAD 39163". N2YO. 24 January 2015. Retrieved 25 January 2015.
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference ils1 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference ilspdf was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ Cite error: The named reference ils3 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  7. ^ Cite error: The named reference zarya was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  8. ^ Cite error: The named reference eu-3C was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  9. ^ Cite error: The named reference eu-3A was invoked but never defined (see the help page).