[Satellite TODAY 01-29-10] Eutelsat and manufacturer Thales Alenia Space are investigating a failure suffered by the W2 satellite Jan. 27, Eutelsat announced.

    Eutelsat has taken action to provide alternative capacity to customers affected by the anomaly and services are progressively being restored. The satellite, located at 16 degrees East, was launched by Arianespace in 1998 and provides fixed widebeam coverage over Europe, North Africa and the Middle East. Customers include RRSat, Arqiva and CanalSat.

    This is the second Eutelsat anomaly within the past 12 months. On Jan. 29, 2009, Eutelsat’s W2M satellite experienced a major anomaly affecting the satellite’s power subsystem, leading to a total loss of the spacecraft. The anomaly occurred during the satellite’s transfer from the location used for in-orbit tests to its operating position at 16 degrees East. As a result of the failure, Eutelsat used the W2 satellite, which was supposed to be replaced by W2M, to meet the requirements of clients who were expected to benefit from the increased capacity the satellite would have provided.

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