e-Bird is ready for Ariane launch

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Source: Arianespace/Eutelsat

The e-BIRD™ satellite will be launched from French Guiana during the night of Saturday 27 September to Sunday 28 September 2003. The launch window will open from 1:02am to 1:21am. Live coverage on Hot Bird 6 - 13E in 11,178H.


The launch window will open:
GMT >> From 11:02pm to 11:21pm
Paris >> From 01:02am to 01:21am

Live on HOT BIRD™ 6 (13° East):

Frequency: 11178.9 MHz
Polarization: Horizontal
Symbol Rate: 27500
Fec: 3/4
PID Video: 200
PID Audio: 201
Channel ID: 4901
Name: "HOT BIRD™ Ch2"

e-BIRD™, Europe's first satellite specially designed for 2-way broadband communications is in final stages of preparation for its launch on September 27 by an Ariane 5 rocket. Built by Boeing Satellite Systems, the satellite will be launched from French Guiana during a launch window opening at 23:02 GMT (01:02 Paris time) and lasting 19 minutes in the night of September 27 to 28.

e-BIRD™'s unique design will enable highly efficient and cost-effective use of bandwidth for 2-way broadband communications through sixteen 36 MHz transponders for hub to user communications and four 108 MHz transponders for user to hub communications. This configuration enables the delivery of interactive services with low-cost bandwidth for forward and return links using sub one-metre antennas.

Located in geostationary orbit at 33 degrees East, e-BIRD™ will serve Europe and Turkey through four high-power beams on the forward link and two high gain beams on the return link. In addition to addressing regional requirements within each beam all 4 beams can be served through a single hub for highly effective pan-European connectivity.

With its proximity to Eutelsat's EUROBIRD™ 1 satellite at 28.5 degrees East, e-BIRD™ is also perfectly positioned for bundling digital TV and broadband one-way services that can be received by small domestic antennas. A dual-feed LNB, a DVB-IP terminal and a digital TV decoder are all that is needed.