Eutelsat 12 West B
| Company type | Communications satellite |
|---|---|
| Industry | Satellite communications |
| Predecessor | Atlantic Bird 2 (2001–2012) |
| Founded | September 21, 2001 |
| Headquarters | France |
| Products | Direct-to-home broadcasting |
| Parent | Eutelsat |
Eutelsat 12 West B, previously known as Atlantic Bird 2 between 2001 and 2012, and later as Eutelsat 8 West A from 2012 to 2015, was a communications satellite in geostationary orbit managed by Eutelsat. It provided direct-to-home (DTH) broadcasting capabilities from a fixed orbital position, initially stationed at 8° West before being shifted to 12.5° West longitude. In October 2012, Eutelsat commissioned a new satellite based on the Spacebus-3000B2 platform from Alcatel Space.
Satellite description
With a launch weight of , Atlantic Bird 2 was designed for an operational lifespan of 12 years but exceeded expectations by functioning for 19 years. It utilized an S400-12 apogee thruster to maneuver into its final orbit and an S10-18 engine dedicated to maintaining its position. The spacecraft carried 26 Ku-band transponders, enabling service coverage over both the Americas and Europe.
Launch
The satellite was deployed aboard an Ariane 44P rocket from the Centre Spatial Guyanais located in Kourou, French Guiana. The launch took place at 23:21 UTC on September 21, 2001, with Arianespace successfully inserting the payload into a geosynchronous transfer orbit (GTO).
Mission
Following deployment, Atlantic Bird 2 employed its apogee motor to achieve geostationary orbit at the 8° West slot. In December 2011, Eutelsat announced a consolidated naming scheme for its fleet effective March 2012, resulting in the satellite’s renaming to Eutelsat 8 West A. Subsequently, in 2015, it was relocated to the orbital position at 12.5° West and redesignated as Eutelsat 12 West B. The satellite was finally transferred to a graveyard orbit in October 2020.