Launch W3B 13E

Analoguesat

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Launch W3B (France)

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Special channel set up for tomorrow nights launch of Eutel W3B from Kourou :) Just carrying this testcard atm - and its an extremely unusual one as the colour bars are moving backwards and forwards. Ive never seen that before! :D
 

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Must be in 3D .................
 
I'm sorry:
EUTELSAT STATEMENT on LOSS OF W3B SATELLITE



Paris, 29 October 2010

Eutelsat Communications (Euronext Paris: ETL) announces the loss of the W3B satellite following an anomaly which was detected on the satellite’s propulsion subsystem after its launch by an Ariane 5 rocket.



W3B was scheduled to be located at 16° East to replace Eutelsat’s EUROBIRD™ 16, W2M and SESAT 1 satellites. With the loss of W3B, the three satellites will now remain in full service at 16° East until the arrival of W3C, whose launch is on track for mid-2011. Eutelsat will also immediately initiate a new satellite programme, called W3D, for a planned launch in the first quarter of 2013.



Michel de Rosen, CEO of Eutelsat Communications, commented: “The loss of W3B is a disappointment for Eutelsat and for our customers. We share it with our partners, in particular Thales Alenia Space and with the insurance community. Our attention is now focused on delivering the W3C satellite to 16° East in mid-2011 and on initiating a new programme to compensate for this loss.”



Eutelsat is fully insured for the investment in W3B, which guarantees that the Group does not incur any direct financial loss. The non-availability of W3B does not change the financial guidance issued by the company on 30 July 2010.


About Eutelsat Communications

Eutelsat Communications (Euronext Paris: ETL, ISIN code: FR0010221234) is the holding company of Eutelsat S.A.. With capacity commercialised on 26 satellites that provide coverage over the entire European continent, as well as the Middle East, Africa, India and significant parts of Asia and the Americas, Eutelsat is one of the world's three leading satellite operators in terms of revenues. At 30 June 2010, Eutelsat’s satellites were broadcasting more than 3,600 television channels. More than 1,100 channels broadcast via its HOT BIRD™ video neighbourhood at 13 degrees East which serves over 120 million cable and satellite homes in Europe, the Middle East and North Africa. The Group’s satellites also serve a wide range of fixed and mobile telecommunications services, TV contribution markets, corporate networks, and broadband markets for Internet Service Providers and for transport, maritime and in-flight markets. Eutelsat's broadband subsidiary, Skylogic, markets and operates access to high speed internet services through teleports in France and Italy that serve enterprises, local communities, government agencies and aid organisations in Europe, Africa, Asia and the Americas. Headquartered in Paris, Eutelsat and its subsidiaries employ nearly 661 commercial, technical and operational employees from 28 countries.

Eutelsat - Welcome
 
Must have been a big failure for Eutelsat to have declared the mission lost so quickly
 
Analoguesat said:
Must have been a big failure for Eutelsat to have declared the mission lost so quickly

53 Ku TP's down the plughole. That's a lot to lose for the 16E position.
 
The worst thing is that the ratty old Sesat 1 and her diabolically poor uk signals will have to stay in place for another year or so. :(
 
Major fuel leak:

“We know the nature of the anomaly, but we don’t know what caused the anomaly,” said De Rosen during a press briefing in Kourou this morning. “What we know is that we have a significant leak in one of the two tanks. The leak is such that we cannot bring the satelite to its position to fulfill its mission. We are still receiving data from satellite, so we will now try to analyse the data.”

Thats a deorbit job :(
 
Some history:29.10.2010_W3B-4.webp29.10.2010_W3B-4.webp
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Was this announced on the launch feed last night? I turned it off to watch a film
 
No - the launch was a success. Both sats were successfully and accurately delivered to where they had been requested to be placed. The problems started when Eutel started the next phase - checking the bird out for the orbital raising manoeuvres which require the onboard engine & fuel supply.

From what I saw, the sad news broke mid morning.

BTW the revised footprints are still up on the Eutel site although the links have been removed.

-http://www.eutelsat.com/satellites/16e-w3B_popd.html#

Most favourable for the UK, lets hope W3C/ W3D are as kind.
 
W3B will be re-entered next week for a Pacific splashdown

-http://www.spacenews.com/launch/101029-eutelsat-w3b-declared-total-loss.html
 
Out of curiosity, how much will be left after re entry to 'splashdown'? Secondly, assuming there will be something left, would there be anything worth salvaging?
 
Let's hope they've considered and accounted for the potential for water ingress via the F connectors.
 
Let's hope it's fitted with those 'rubber boots'!!
 
sonnetpete said:
Out of curiosity, how much will be left after re entry to 'splashdown'? Secondly, assuming there will be something left, would there be anything worth salvaging?

No - much of the bird will burn up during the dive through the atmosphere as shes not designed for re-entry. Fuel tanks and solidly built components like batteries may survive but they will sink to the bottom of the Pacific safely out of the way.

W3B will rip herself to pieces during the burn up - the solar sails will be the first to break off due to atmospheric stresses. Did you see the film clips of the Colombia shuttle breaking up during reentry a few years ago - there were multiple reentry items - it will look like that :(
 
Nothing really works after a dunk in salt water.

There was a chartered boat carrying a team and some motorbikes to the TT a few years back that took on water and sank.

The bikes were salvaged after about a day underwater, but the damage was already terminal to the aluminium, plastic and steel parts.
 
Much as I surmised. It was just the word 'splashdown' had me thinking of parachutes and Apollo capsules. Perhaps 'sinkdown' would be better though ungrammatical. I suppose the possibility of debris hitting anyone or anything will be very remote.
 
sonnetpete said:
Much as I surmised. It was just the word 'splashdown' had me thinking of parachutes and Apollo capsules.

:D

Next time I'll used "swimming with the fishies" !
 
Analoguesat said:
:D

Next time I'll used "swimming with the fishies" !

Hope that won't apply to the "propulsion tank assembly team"!
 
And the feed is still active, maybe they are going to show the splashdown.
 
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