Eutelsat W3A
W3A is a communications satellite owned by Eutelsat. Placed at 7 degrees east, it broadcasts TV channels, radios and other digital data. It entered operational service on 15 May 2004.
Built by EADS Astrium on a Eurostar E3000 platform, it is equipped with 42 Ku-band transponders broadcasting in Europe, North Africa, the Middle East and sub-Saharan Africa and 2 Ka-band transponders.
It was launched on 15 March 2004 at 11:06 p.m. UTC by Proton-M/Breeze-M from the Baikonur Cosmodrome. It had a launch mass of 4450 kg. Its estimated lifespan is 12 years.
It is equipped with SKYPLEX technique for multiplexing on board. It is the first geostationary satellite to use a lithium-ion battery.
It is used by the European Broadcasting Union's Eurovision network. It broadcasts the Turkish DigiTurk offerings and numerous Internet connection services such as OpenSky, HughesNet Europe or Skylogic.
