Built by EADS Astrium and launched on December 20, 2008, by Arianespace, Eutelsat’s new high-capacity broadcast satellite has a projected in-orbit life of more than 15 years. The smooth transfer of television and radio channels onto HOT BIR- 9 was completed this morning at 4:00 a.m. (February 17th) GMT by Eutelsat’s control centre, working in close collaboration with broadcast clients and providers of uplink services. With the entry into service of HOT BIRD-9, copositioned with Eutelsat’s HOT BIRD-6 and HOT BIRD-8 satellites, HOT BIRD-7A can now be redeployed to 9 degrees East. Rebranded EUROBIRD-9A, the satellite will assume all broadcasts currently carried by the 20 transponders on EUROBIRD-9 and introduce 18 additional transponders at the 9 degrees East neighborhood, which has seen the number of channels more than double in one year to almost 150. Released from this position, EUROBIRD-9 will continue its useful life in orbit at another location.
HOT BIRD-9 has a payload of up to 64 Ku-band transponders and is the second in Eutelsat’s new generation of HOT BIRD broadcast satellites, following HOT BIRD™ 8 which was launched in 2006. These high-capacity spacecraft have the dual mission of renewing Eutelsat’s resource at its premium video neighbourhood at 13 degrees East and elevating in-orbit security to industry-leading levels. The HOT BIRD neighborhood today broadcasts almost 1 100 television channels and 600 radio stations to an audience of more than 120 million homes in Europe, the Middle East and North Africa.