spacetoday.net: Newly-launched satellite declared a total loss

Posted: Fri, Oct 29, 2010, 9:11 PM ET (0111 GMT)
Eutelsat W3B illustration (Eutelsat)

A commercial communications satellite launched on Thursday has been declared a total loss by its owner because of a propulsion problem that will prevent the spacecraft from reaching its final orbit. Eutelsat W3B was launched Thursday evening by an Ariane 5 into a geosynchronous transfer orbit, and at the time all seemed well with the Thales Alenia Space-built satellite. However, on Friday morning Eutelsat announced it was declaring the satellite a total loss because of a propellant leak in the spacecraft that would keep the spacecraft from reaching its final orbit in GEO. Eutelsat instead plans to deorbit the spacecraft next week. The cause of the propellant leak is unknown but Thales officials suggested the tank was damaged some time after being installed on the launch vehicle. The spacecraft was fully insured, and Eutelsat plans to order a replacement satellite.