The Airbus-built Eutelsat HOTBIRD 13F satellite has successfully reached its geostationary orbit after undergoing five months of Electric Orbit Raising (EOR). The satellite has completed comprehensive testing at its orbital position and is ready to enter full service. The HOTBIRD 13F is the first of the Eurostar Neo family of telecommunication satellites designed and built by Airbus, in partnership with the European Space Agency’s (ESA) Partnership Projects, the French space agency CNES, and supported by the UK Space Agency and other agencies across Europe.
Equipped with a camera at the tip of one of the robotic arms hosting the electric propulsion thrusters, the satellite has taken a selfie that showcases its advanced technology. The HOTBIRD 13F will be joined by its twin satellite, HOTBIRD 13G, also built by Airbus and launched only three weeks later. Together, they will begin serving Eutelsat’s customers in the coming weeks from the key orbital slot at 13 degrees east.
Replacing three satellites from the previous generation, the duo of state-of-the-art satellites will deliver 1000 television channels to more than 160 million TV homes in Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East. Airbus pioneered EOR on Eutelsat’s E172B satellite launched in 2017. Since then, full-electric propulsion has become the standard for all Airbus Telecommunication satellites, with over 20 satellites ordered in less than ten years. For more information about Airbus telecom satellites, including Eurostar Neo, click here.
