Eutelsat has shifted the launch of its W3B satellite in September-October this year to an Ariane 5 flight. It was previously set to be launched on a Chinese Long March rocket.
Eutelsat will now make use of its contracted Long March flight by launching…
Eutelsat has shifted the launch of its W3B satellite in September-October this year to an Ariane 5 flight. It was previously set to be launched on a Chinese Long March rocket.
Eutelsat will now make use of its contracted Long March flight by launching the W3C spacecraft on the Chinese vehicle in Q2 2011.
The change was made due to the necessity for W3B to be delivered on time, which could not have been guaranteed if manufacturers Thales Alenia Space had to complete construction using components legal to export to China under the American International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR).
ITAR specifies that US-made satellite components cannot be exported to China. Thales requires more time than usual to build a spacecraft that can satisfy these regulations, and the recent failure of Eutelsat’s W2 satellite at the 16E orbital slot means that it cannot afford a delay to W3B, which will replace W2.