Latin America. The sky of Kourou, French Guiana, lit up with the liftoff of the Ariane rocket that successfully carried the Eutelsat 65 West A satellite into space. The launcher lifted off on 9 March at 02.20 local time (05.20 UTC) and carried Eutelsat 65 West A into transfer orbit after 27 minutes of flight.
The solar panels of the 6.5-ton satellite manufactured by SSL were fully deployed four hours later. Over the next few days, the satellite's apogee engine will be switched on four times to complete its ascent into geostationary orbit, after which the antennas will be fully deployed. After a series of performance tests, Eutelsat 65 West A will enter into operation from position 65° West in early May.
Rodolphe Belmer, Managing Director of Eutelsat, said: "The launch of Eutelsat 65 West A is a new milestone in expanding our footprint in the Americas. Its unique combination of coverage and frequencies will allow it to respond to the diverse needs of a wide range of customers. We thank Arianespace for another flawless launch, our 31st with an Ariane rocket, and SSL for its early delivery of this sophisticated satellite."
Eutelsat 65 West A is a tri-band satellite designed to serve fast-growing markets in Latin America. Its high-power Ku-band payload will enable DTH reception in Brazil and facilitate corporate communications in Central America, the Caribbean and the Andean region. Eutelsat 65 West A also features C-band transatlantic coverage for intercontinental video distribution and contribution and a Ka-band payload that will promote broadband access in Latin America, particularly in Brazil, Mexico, Colombia and Peru.
Eutelsat 65 West A will be followed by the launch of the all-electric Eutelsat 117 West B satellite that will be located around 117° West to increase the capacity available to the Latin American broadcasting market.
To watch the video of the satellite launch, click here.
