Eutelsat 115 West B
European communications satellite
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Eutelsat 115 West B (previously Satmex 7) is a communications satellite that is operated by Eutelsat, providing video, data, government, and mobile services for the Americas. The satellite was designed and manufactured by Boeing Space Systems, and is a Boeing 702SP model communication satellite. It is located at 115 degrees west longitude. It was launched on board a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket on 2 March 2015 (UTC time).
Eutelsat 115 West B (2014–present)
| Names | Satmex 7 (2012–2014) Eutelsat 115 West B (2014–present) |
|---|---|
| Mission type | Communications |
| Operator | Eutelsat |
| COSPAR ID | 2015-010B[1] |
| SATCAT no. | 40425[1] |
| Mission duration | 15 years (planned) |
| Spacecraft properties | |
| Bus | Boeing 702SP |
| Manufacturer | Boeing |
| Launch mass | 4,861 pounds (2,205 kg) |
| Start of mission | |
| Launch date | March 2, 2015, 03:50 UTC |
| Rocket | Falcon 9 v1.1 |
| Launch site | Cape Canaveral SLC-40 |
| Contractor | SpaceX |
| Entered service | October 15, 2015[2] |
| Orbital parameters | |
| Reference system | Geocentric |
| Regime | Geostationary |
| Longitude | 114.9° West |
| Perigee altitude | 35,793 kilometres (22,241 mi)[1] |
| Apogee altitude | 35,795 kilometres (22,242 mi)[1] |
| Inclination | 0.0 degrees[1] |
| Period | 1436.1 minutes[1] |
| Epoch | 19 March 2015, 01:45:59 UTC[1] |
| Transponders | |
| Band | 34 Ku band, 12 C band |
The satellite is solely propelled by electrically powered spacecraft propulsion, with the onboard thrusters used for both geostationary orbit insertion and station keeping.
The satellite had a launch mass of 4,861 pounds (2,205 kg).[3] It is notable for being the first[4] commercial communications satellite in orbit to use electric propulsion, providing a significant weight savings. Eutelsat 115 West B was launched with another Boeing 702SP satellite, ABS-3A, on the same rocket.
Eutelsat 115 West B is planned to be the first in a family of four satellites in the Eutelsat constellation. The satellite was scheduled for entry into service in November 2015, but entered service a month earlier than expected, in October 2015.[5][6]
Launch
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The launch occurred on March 2, 2015, at 03:50 UTC and the satellite has been deployed in the planned supersynchronous transfer orbit.[7][8]
The launch is also notable for being the first flight of Boeing's stacked satellite configuration for the Boeing 702SP,[9] a configuration Boeing designed specifically to take advantage of the SpaceX Falcon 9 v1.1 capabilities.[10]
On-orbit operations
The sister-satellite 702SP from the same launch—ABS-3A—became fully operational as a geosynchronous communications satellite by 10 September 2015 after a handover from Boeing to ABS for on-orbit operations on 31 August 2015, approximately one month earlier than planned.[11] A press release on 15 October 2015 stated that Eutelsat 115 West B has started providing service.[2]
