Starlink · AT&T · Datacenter Dynamics
Eutelsat retires 139 West A GEO satellite after more than 22 years of service
Compiled by KHAO Editorial — aggregated from 1 outlet. See llms.txt for citation guidance.
◌ Single Source
French satellite giant Eutelsat has completed the end-of-life operations of its longest-serving satellite, Eutelsat 139 West A.
Key facts
- Video revenues at the company fell 12.3 percent to €267m ($306m) in the period, as connectivity revenues from the GEO fleet fell 4.5 percent to €197m ($225m)
- Final passivation and re-orbiting procedures to place the craft into its graveyard orbit were undertaken at Eutelsat’s control center in Issy-les-Moulineaux on April 12, at 21:46 UTC, in full
- The satellite’s design suggested an operating lifespan of 12 years, but the GEO platform continued reporting more than 10 years beyond that threshold
- Launched in March 2004 as W3A, the geostationary (GEO) satellite maintained an availability rate exceeding 99.99 percent, serving customers at multiple orbital positions and commercial identities
Summary
Final passivation and re-orbiting procedures to place the craft into its graveyard orbit were undertaken at Eutelsat’s control center in Issy-les-Moulineaux on April 12, at 21:46 UTC, in full compliance with French Space Law and international space debris mitigation guidelines. Launched in March 2004 as W3A, the geostationary (GEO) satellite maintained an availability rate exceeding 99.99 percent, serving customers at multiple orbital positions and commercial identities over two decades. “Maintaining a GEO satellite in service for more than 22 years with such outstanding availability is no accident,” Daniel Kroboth, VP of satellite operations at Eutelsat, said in a statement. The satellite’s design suggested an operating lifespan of 12 years, but the GEO platform continued reporting more than 10 years beyond that threshold.