Eutelsat reports ‘incident’ on just-launched 5 West B

Satellite operator Eutelsat has said it is investigating an incident on one of the two solar arrays on its just launched Eutelsat 5 West B satellite.

The Paris-based satellite operator said it was assessing the potential impact on the performance of the satellite and will communicate on it as quickly as possible.

The operator said the satellite is full insured against the eventuality of loss by a launch-plus-one-year insurance.

Revenues generated in FY 2018-19 by Eutelsat 5 West A, which Eutelsat 5 West B is due to replace, amounted to circa €30 million

Eutelsat’s latest craft, Eutelsat 5 West B, was successfully launched into super-synchronous transfer orbit by International Launch Services using a Proton Breeze M rocket that lifted off from the Baikonur Cosmodrome on October 9.

The satellite is intended to be positioned at 5° West at the end of this year to replace Eutelsat 5 West A, offering service continuity for over 300 TV channels broadcast from this position. Under the plan Eutelsat 5 West A will remain at the same slot and carry out other missions.

Among other things, the satellite will host the GEO-3 payload of the European Geostationary Navigation Overlay System (EGNOS) under a 15-year agreement signed in 2017 with the European GNSS Agency (GSA),, valued at €102 million.