Eutelsat 3D

In February 2008 Thales Alenia Space was awarded a contract to design, manufacture and deliver a satellite for Eutelsat. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. The Eutelsat W3B satellite, based on Thales' Spacebus-4000C3 platform, was equipped with two fixed and three deployable antennas and was to provide 3 Ka- and 53 Ku-band transponders. W3B was to be colocated at 7° east with Eutelsat's W3A satellite and will provide broadcast and telecommunications services across Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. But following the problems of W2M shortly after launch, W3B was to take W2M's place to replace the aging W2 satellite. As a replacement for W3B's original mission at 7° east, Eutelsat ordered in March 2009 the identical Eutelsat W3C satellite.