Wedoany.com Report on Feb 4th, Intelsat (now held by SES of Luxembourg) is planning to take over an aging satellite from Eutelsat. Named Eutelsat 50 WA, this spacecraft was launched on December 20, 2008, authorized to operate under France, and has recently been relocated from its orbital position at 12.5° West to 50.3° West.
Intelsat has submitted an application to the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) requesting the reauthorization of control of this satellite to the United States. If the FCC approves this transaction, Intelsat will formally take over and operate the satellite from its inclined orbital position at 50.3° West.
The satellite was manufactured by EADS Astrium, originally named Eutelsat W2M, and launched via an Ariane rocket in December 2008. Throughout its operational history, it has been renamed multiple times based on its service locations, including Eutelsat 48B in 2012, Eutelsat 28B from 2012 to 2014, and was assigned as Afghansat 1 in 2014.
The Eutelsat 50 WA satellite has a design lifespan of 15 years and was scheduled to end its service in 2023. However, during its manufacturing phase, the satellite was referred to as a "wet satellite," reportedly having encountered water-related issues at the manufacturing facility.
In January 2009, then-CEO of Eutelsat, Giuliano Berretta, commented: "The situation with W2M is a serious disappointment for Eutelsat. However, for many years we have pursued a strategy based on securing and expanding our in-orbit resources to mitigate such risks. Therefore, our current investment program combines early renewal of operational satellites, securing the fleet through ready backup resources, and expanding services with larger satellites. This policy has allowed us to absorb the impact of W2M's unavailability without affecting the continuity of service to our customers."
Despite initial challenges, the satellite subsequently operated stably. In January 2014, the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology of Afghanistan signed an agreement with Eutelsat to utilize this satellite's resources to enhance Afghanistan's national broadcasting, telecommunications infrastructure, and international connectivity deployment.
