Eutelsat 8 West C
Eutelsat 8 West C, known as Hot Bird 6 prior to 2012 and Hot Bird 13A from 2012 to 2013, is a French communications satellite. Operated by Eutelsat, it provides direct to home broadcasting services from geostationary orbit. The satellite was part of Eutelsat's Hot Bird constellation at a longitude of 13 degrees east, until it was relocated to 8 degrees west between July and August 2013.
Constructed by Alcatel Space based on the Spacebus-3000B3 satellite bus, Eutelsat 8 West C is a satellite with a design life of 12 years. It is equipped with an S400-12 apogee motor which was used for initial orbit-raising manoeuvres and an S10-18 engine for station keeping burns. The spacecraft has 28 Ku-band and four Ka-band transponders.
Hot Bird 6, as it was then named, was launched on the maiden flight of the Atlas V rocket, tail number AV-001, flying in the 401 configuration from Space Launch Complex 41 at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. Liftoff occurred at 22:05:00 on 21 August 2002, with the carrier rocket successfully injecting its payload into geosynchronous transfer orbit. The launch was conducted by International Launch Services.
Following launch, the satellite used its apogee motor to raise itself into geostationary orbit, positioning itself at a longitude of 13 degrees east. It operated at this position for almost eleven years before being removed from the slot in July 2013. In August it arrived at 8 degrees west, where it has entered service as Eutelsat 8 West C, to support the Eutelsat 8 West A satellite until the planned 2015 launch of the Eutelsat 8 West B satellite. It provides coverage of the Middle East, North Africa and eastern Europe.
