PIONEER ECS-4 SPACECRAFT DOUBLES ITS DESIGN LIFE TIME

The last satellite of the European Communications Satellites ECS-4, still in operations is being put into retirement after 15 years of service. The ECS-4/Eutelsat I-F4 satellite was launched on 16 September 1987 and used for more than twice its design lifetime of 7 years.

Between 1983 and 1988, ESA launched five of their ECS satellites built by Astrium. The ECS design was the basis of Astrium first generation of commercial communications satellites. Four of the ECS were successfully launched, and were operated by Eutelsat as their first generation satellite programme before they launched their own satellites.

All four spacecraft have far exceeded their design requirements. ECS-1, ECS-2 and ECS-5 have already been decommissioned following over 13, 9 and 12 years of successful operation respectively, well over their 7-year design lifetime. ECS-3 suffered a launch failure in 1985.

Each ECS enabled coverage of the whole European continent for cable television, telephone communications, specialised services and Eurovision transmissions.

ECS-4 is now being replaced in the Eutelsat fleet by Eurobird 2, another Astrium-built satellite formerly known as Hot Bird 5. This event concludes the ECS success story and turns one page of European satellite telecommunications history.

Also designed and built by Astrium, HOT BIRDTM 7 is scheduled for launch on December 11 with an Ariane 5 launcher. HOT BIRDTM 7 will be positioned at 13 degrees East, Eutelsat’s prime orbital location for broadcasting television channels and radio stations to cable and satellite homes in Europe, North Africa and the Middle East.