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Eutelsat selects alliance for new W2M satellite EUTELSAT NEWS RELEASE Posted: February 1, 2006 Eutelsat Communications has selected a new industrial partnership combining the expertise of EADS Astrium and ISRO, the Indian Space Research Organisation, to build a telecommunications satellite called W2M. The final contract will be signed in Dehli on February 20th, in the presence of the President of France and the President of India. W2M will operate typically 26 transponders in Ku-band and up to 32 depending on operational modes, for a designed operational lifetime of 15 years. The new satellite is designed to provide additional security for customers and can be deployed at a number of orbital positions of the W satellite fleet, and in particular at the 10 degrees East position. W2M, like all the other Eutelsat satellites in the W series, displays great flexibility to operate a wide range of services from television broadcasting to data networks and broadband. In addition to a fixed beam coverage taking in Europe, North Africa and the Middle East, it will also carry one steerable beam which can be re-oriented in orbit according to market requirements and notably towards Africa and central Asia, consolidating Eutelsat's high levels of commercial flexibility. According to the terms of the agreement, W2M will be delivered to Eutelsat in 26 months for launch in the second quarter of 2008. This order is the first one resulting from the alliance of European EADS Astrium and Indian ANTRIX, the commercial arm of ISRO, the technical unit of which is the Indian Space Research Organisation. EADS Astrium is prime contractor in charge of overall programme management and will design and build the communications payload. ANTRIX/ISRO will supply the satellite bus, based on the flight proven I3K model, and integrate and test the spacecraft. The W2M spacecraft will have a launch mass of about 3 tons and payload power of about 4 kW. W2M is the 13th satellite commissioned by Eutelsat from EADS Astrium. Eutelsat Communications is the holding company of Eutelsat S.A. The Group is a leading satellite operator with capacity commercialised on 22 satellites providing coverage over the entire European continent, as well as the Middle East, Africa, India and significant parts of Asia and the Americas. With a turnover of E 750 millions in 2004/2005, the Group is one of the world's three leading satellite operators in terms of revenues. Its satellites are used for broadcasting over 1,700 TV and 860 radio stations to nearly 120 million cable and satellite homes. The Group also provides TV contribution services, corporate networks, mobile positioning and communications, Internet backbone connectivity and broadband access for terrestrial, maritime and inflight applications. Eutelsat Communications is headquartered in Paris, and the Group's workforce comprises over 450 commercial, technical and operational employees from 25 countries. |
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Space shuttle Atlantis and a multinational crew flew to the Russian space station Mir in June 1995 for the first in a series of joint docking missions, launching a new era of cooperation in space between the United States and Russia that would pave the way for the International Space Station. This post-flight presentation of highlights from the historic STS-71 mission is narrated by the astronauts.
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