Doha, Paris, 10 September 2013 - Eutelsat Communications (Euronext Paris: ETL) and Es’hailSat announce that their jointly owned EUTELSAT 25B/Es’hail 1 satellite, launched on August 29, has reached geostationary orbit. The sequence for release and deployment of solar arrays and communications antennas has been successfully completed by Space Systems/Loral, the satellite’s manufacturer, and the satellite’s payload was switched on on September 8. EUTELSAT 25B/Es’hail 1 is now undergoing a series of in-orbit tests managed by Eutelsat from its Rambouillet teleport, near Paris.
Eutelsat and Es’hailSat schedule to bring their jointly owned satellite into service at 25.5° East at the end of October. EUTELSAT 25B/Es’hail 1 is designed to serve broadcasters, businesses and public agencies in the Middle East, North Africa and Central Asia via capacity in the Ku and Ka-bands. It will replace the EUTELSAT 25C satellite at the key 25.5° East position to provide both superior geographic coverage and increased capacity to address dynamically expanding digital markets. Following EUTELSAT 25B/Es’hail 1's entry into service Eutelsat will redeploy its EUTELSAT 25C to another location where it will pursue commercial service.