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 |
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).
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]
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]
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]