Eurostar (satellite bus)


Eurostar is a satellite bus made by Airbus Defence and Space which has been used for a series of spacecraft providing telecommunications services in geosynchronous orbit. More than 70 Eurostar satellites have been ordered to date, of which more than 55 have been successfully launched since October 1990 and have proven highly reliable in operational service. In December 2013, the Eurostar satellites accumulated 500 years of successful operations in orbit.
The Eurostar spacecraft series is designed for a variety of telecommunications needs including fixed services and broadcast, mobile services, broadband and secured communications.

Development

Eurostar was designed in the mid 1980s jointly by Matra Marconi Space and BAe to Inmarsat specifications, for a market which at the time had a design envelope of 1.8-2.5 Tons on the proposed launch vehicles. Satellite payload power was from 1300 to 2600 W. This was the first commercial satellite to have a digital avionics system modular in concept. With this system architecture, all key satellite parameters are in software, which permits mission specific requirements to be implemented without hardware changes. The initial satellite structure and configuration designed to early requirements had significant growth potential, which subsequently allowed the payload capability to be more than quadrupled between 1987 and 1992, with a minimum of re qualification. Airbus DS has since developed further the product line in a staged process which mainly increases the satellite power and propulsion capability and real estate for accommodation of equipment and antennas. The overall configuration of Eurostar satellites has essentially not changed in 20 years through the successive generations Eurostar E1000, E2000, E2000+ and E3000. They have just become larger, more powerful, with implementation costs reduced through longer orbit manoeuvring lifetime, and more efficient and powerful payloads. Nowadays the Eurostar E3000 series has been considerably enhanced and updated with the latest technologies, still maintaining the basic proven configuration. A new version E3000e introduced in 2014 uses electric propulsion for orbit raising.

Range

The Eurostar E3000 satellite model currently available offers power payload ranging from 4 to 15 kW. Satellites launch mass usually ranges between 4,000 and 6,000 kg.

Modularity

The Eurostar satellite structures are modular with a separate Service-Propulsion module and Communications module. Figure shows the modular design of the E3000 series around a compact Service module.

Satellites

List of Eurostar satellites
SatelliteOperatorPlatform typeLaunch dateLaunch vehicle
Inmarsat-2 F1InmarsatE100030/10/1990Delta 2
Inmarsat-2 F2InmarsatE100008/03/1991Delta 2
Inmarsat-2 F3InmarsatE100016/12/1991Ariane 4
Telecom 2AFrance TelecomE200016/12/1991Ariane 4
Inmarsat-2 F4InmarsatE100015/04/1992Ariane 4
Telecom 2BFrance TelecomE200015/04/1992Ariane 4
Hispasat 1AHispasatE200010/09/1992Ariane 4
Hispasat 1BHispasatE200022/07/1993Ariane 4
Orion-1/Telstar 11Orion/LoralE200029/11/1994Atlas IIA
Telecom 2CFrance TelecomE200006/12/1995Ariane 4
Telecom 2DFrance TelecomE200008/08/1996Ariane 4
Hot Bird 2EutelsatE2000+21/11/1996Atlas 2A
Hot Bird 3EutelsatE2000+02/09/1997Ariane 4
Hot Bird 4EutelsatE2000+28/02/1998Ariane 4
Nilesat 101NilesatE200028/04/1998Ariane 4
ST-1SingTel/CHTE2000+25/08/1998Ariane 4
Hot Bird 5EutelsatE2000+09/10/1998Atlas 2A
AfristarWorldSpaceE2000+28/10/1998Ariane 4
AsiaStarWorldSpaceE2000+21/03/2000Ariane 5
Nilesat 102NilesatE200017/08/2000Ariane 4
Eutelsat W1EutelsatE2000+06/09/2000Ariane 4
Astra 2BSESE2000+14/09/2000Ariane 5
Hot Bird-7EutelsatE2000+11/12/2002Ariane 5
Hellas-SatHellas-SatE2000+13/05/2003Atlas V
Worldstar 3WorldSpaceE2000+
Eutelsat W3AEutelsatE300015/03/2004Proton
Intelsat 10-02IntelsatE300016/06/2004Proton
Amazonas 1HispasatE300005/08/2004Proton
Inmarsat-4 F1InmarsatE300011/03/2005Atlas V
Anik F1RTelesatE300009/09/2005Proton
Inmarsat-4 F2InmarsatE300008/11/2005Sea Launch
Arabsat 4AArabsatE2000+28/02/2006Proton
Hot Bird 8EutelsatE300004/08/2006Proton
Arabsat 4BArabsatE2000+09/11/2006Proton
Skynet 5AParadigmE300011/03/2007Ariane 5
Anik F3TelesatE300009/04/2007Proton
Skynet 5BParadigmE300014/11/2007Ariane 5
Skynet 5CParadigmE300012/06/2008Ariane 5
Badr-4ArabsatE2000+08/07/2008Ariane 5
Inmarsat-4 F3InmarsatE300018/08/2008Proton
Nimiq 4TelesatE300019/09/2008Proton
Astra 1MSESE300005/11/2008Proton
Hot Bird 9EutelsatE300020/12/2008Ariane 5
Hot Bird 10EutelsatE300012/02/2009Ariane 5
Amazonas 2HispasatE300001/10/2009Ariane 5
Astra 3BSESE300021/05/2010Ariane 5
Badr-5ArabsatE300003/06/2010Proton
Arabsat 5AArabsatE300026/06/2010Ariane 5
Ka-SatEutelsatE300026/12/2010Proton
Yahsat 1AYahsatE300022/04/2011Ariane 5
Astra 1NSESE300006/08/2011Ariane 5
Express AM4RSCCE300018/08/2011Proton
Arabsat 5CArabsatE300021/09/2011Ariane 5
Atlantic Bird 7EutelsatE300024/09/2011Sea Launch
Yahsat 1BYahsatE300023/04/2012Proton
Astra 2FSESE300028/09/2012Ariane 5
Eutelsat 70B EutelsatE300003/12/2012Sea Launch
Skynet 5DParadigmE300019/12/2012Ariane 5
SES-6SESE300003/06/2013Proton
Astra 2ESESE300030/09/2013Proton
Astra 5BSESE300022/03/2014Ariane
Express AM4RRSCCE300015/05/2014Proton
Eutelsat 3BEutelsatE300027/05/2014Sea Launch
Measat-3bMeasatE300011/09/2014Ariane
Astra 2GSESE300027/12/2014Proton
Express AM7RSCCE300009/03/2015Proton
DirecTV 15DirecTVE300027/05/2015Ariane
Badr-7ArabsatE300010/11/2015Ariane
Telstar 12 VantageTelesatE300024/11/2015H-IIA
Express AMU1RSCCE300024/12/2015Proton
Eutelsat 9BEutelsatE300029/01/2016
SES-10SESE300030/03/2017
SES-12SESE3000e04/06/2018
Eutelsat 172BEutelsatE3000e01/06/2017
EchoStar 105EchoStarE300011/10/2017
SES-14SESE3000e25/01/2018