[Satellite Today 10-06-08] Arianespace and Eutelsat Communications confirmed the upcoming launch of Eutelsat’s Hot Bird 9 and W2M Ku-band satellites will take place in the last week of November.
    Hot Bird 9, built by EADS Astrium, is equipped with 64 transponders and will join Eutelsat’s 13 degrees East position. W2M, built by Astrium and the Indian Space Research Organization and according to Arianespace, is due to be shipped from Bangalore, India, to Kourou by mid-October. The satellite will be positioned at Eutelsat’s 16 degrees East position.
    This will be the sixth Ariane 5 launch in 2008.