Eutelsat 115 West B

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
NamesSATMEX 7 (2012-2014)
Eutelsat 115 West B (2014—)
Mission typeCommunications
OperatorEutelsat
COSPAR ID2015-010B[1]
SATCAT no.40425[1]
Mission duration15 years (planned)
Spacecraft properties
BusBoeing 702SP
ManufacturerBoeing
Launch mass4,861 pounds (2,205 kg)
Start of mission
Launch dateMarch 2, 2015, 03:50 (2015-03-02UTC03:50Z) UTC
RocketFalcon 9 v1.1
Launch siteCape Canaveral SLC-40
ContractorSpaceX
Entered serviceOctober 15, 2015[2]
Orbital parameters
Reference systemGeocentric
RegimeGeostationary
Longitude114.9° West
Perigee altitude35,793 kilometres (22,241 mi)[1]
Apogee altitude35,795 kilometres (22,242 mi)[1]
Inclination0.0 degrees[1]
Period1436.1 minutes[1]
Epoch19 March 2015, 01:45:59 UTC[1]
Transponders
Band34 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
The launch of the Falcon 9 rocket carrying Eutelsat 115 West B.

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]

See also

References
  1. "EUTE 115 WEST B (SATMEX 7 Satellite details 2015-010B NORAD 40425". N2YO. 6 June 2016. Retrieved 6 June 2016.
  2. EUTELSAT 115 West B Goes Live: Eutelsat Americas achieves full continental footprint with coverage from Alaska to Patagonia, Eutelsat press release, 15 October 2015, accessed 2016-04-10.
  3. Bergin, Chris (25 February 2015). "Legless Falcon 9 Conducts Static Fire Ahead of Sunday Launch". NASASpaceFlight. Retrieved 26 February 2015.
  4. Clark, Stephen (1 March 2015). "Boeing's first two all-electric satellites ready for launch". Spaceflight Now. Retrieved 2 March 2015.
  5. http://spaceflightnow.com/2015/03/17/innovative-satellites-begin-maneuvers-with-all-electric-thrusters/
  6. "EUTELSAT 115 West B arrives in geostationary orbit". Eutelsat. 28 September 2015. Retrieved 23 April 2016.
  7. "EUTELSAT 115 West B launched successfully into space". Eutelsat. 2 March 2015. Retrieved 3 March 2015.
  8. Graham, William (1 March 2015). "SpaceX Falcon 9 launches debut dual satellite mission". NASASpaceFlight. Retrieved 3 March 2015.
  9. Climer, John. "Boeing: Stacked Satellites Tested for the Rigors of Space". Boeing. Retrieved 26 February 2015.
  10. Svitak, Amy (10 March 2014). "SpaceX Says Falcon 9 To Compete For EELV This Year". Aviation Week. Retrieved 2015-02-28. But the Falcon 9 is not just changing the way launch-vehicle providers do business; its reach has gone further, prompting satellite makers and commercial fleet operators to retool business plans in response to the low-cost rocket. In March 2012, Boeing announced the start of a new line of all-electric telecommunications spacecraft, the 702SP, which are designed to launch in pairs on a Falcon 9 v1.1. Anchor customers Asia Broadcast Satellite (ABS) of Hong Kong and Mexico's SatMex plan to loft the first two of four such spacecraft on a Falcon 9 in December in a launch window that opens this year, though SatMex owner Eutelsat said last month that the launch has moved to early 2015. Using electric rather than chemical propulsion will mean the satellites take months, rather than weeks, to reach their final orbital destination. But because all-electric spacecraft are about 40% lighter than their conventional counterparts, the cost to launch them is considerably less than that for a chemically propelled satellite.
  11. Boeing: World’s First All-Electric Propulsion Satellite Begins Operations, Boeing press release, 10 September 2015, accessed 2015-10-31.
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