Antrix-EADS Astrium to Build
Satellite for Eutelsat

Antrix Corporation, the commercial arm of ISRO and EADS Astrium, Paris, signed a contract on February 20, 2006 to jointly offer communications satellites in the market segment of around 4 kW of payload power with a launch mass of 2 to 3 tonnes. This cooperation, combining Indian satellite platforms along with European payloads, is designed to offer optimal, flexible and cost effective solutions to telecommunications operators.

ISRO has established operational space systems such as INSAT for telecommunication, television broadcasting and meteorological services and the Indian Remote Sensing Satellites for resources monitoring and management. Satellite launch vehicles such as the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle for launching remote sensing satellites into polar orbits and the Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle for launching communication and meteorological satellites into geosynchronous transfer orbit have also been operationalised. Antrix globally markets the products and services developed/offered by ISRO.

EADS Astrium is Europe’s leading specialist in satellite systems. Its activities cover complete
civil and military telecommunications and earth observation systems, science and navigation programmes, and all spacecraft avionics and equipment. EADS Astrium is a wholly owned subsidiary of EADS SPACE, which is dedicated to providing civil and defence space systems. EADS is a global leader in aerospace, defence and related services.

The first success of Antrix-EADS Astrium alliance has already been demonstrated by the award of W2M satellite contract by Eutelsat Communications. Under W2M contract, EADS Astrium is the prime contractor in charge of overall programme management and will build the communications payload. Antrix/ISRO will build the satellite bus, integrate and test the spacecraft. ISRO will also be in charge of early in-orbit operations. W2M will be delivered to Eutelsat in 26 months for launch in the
second quarter of 2008. W2M will operate typically 26 transponders in Ku-band and up to 32 depending on operational modes, for a design operational lifetime of 15 years. It will have fixed beam coverage for Europe, North Africa and Middle East and a steerable beam, which can be re-oriented in orbit according to market requirements, notably towards Africa and central Asia.

Eutelsat Communications is the holding company of Eutelsat S.A. The Group is a leading satellite operator with capacity commercialised on 22 satellites providing coverage over the entire European continent, as well as the Middle East, Africa, India and significant parts of Asia and the Americas. The Group is one of the world’s three leading satellite operators in terms of revenue. Its satellites are used for broadcasting over 1,700 TV and 860 radio stations to nearly 120 million cable and satellite homes. The Group also provides TV contribution services, corporate networks, mobile positioning and communications, Internet backbone connectivity and broadband access for terrestrial, maritime and inflight applications.