Eurostar is the brand name for a satellite bus

Satellite bus

A satellite bus or spacecraft bus is the general model on which multiple-production satellite spacecraft are often based. The bus is the infrastructure of a spacecraft, usually providing locations for the payload .They are most commonly used for geosynchronous satellites, particularly...

 made by Astrium which has been used for a series of spacecraft providing telecommunications services in geosynchronous orbit (GEO). More than 60 Eurostar satellites have been ordered to date, of which 45 have been successfully launched since October 1990 and have proven highly reliable in operational service. Early 2010, the Eurostar satellites accumulated 350 years of successful operations in orbit.
The Eurostar spacecraft series is designed for a variety of telecommunications needs including fixed services and broadcast, mobile services, broadband and secured communications.

Development

Eurostar was designed in the mid 1980’s jointly by Matra Marconi Space and BAe (now integrated within Astrium) to an internally developed specification, for a market which at the time had a design envelope of 1.8-2.5 Tons on the proposed launch vehicles (STS PAM D2 and Ariane 4). Satellite payload power was from 1300 to 2600 W. This was the first commercial satellite to have a digital avionics system modular in concept. With this system architecture, all key satellite parameters are in software, which permits mission specific requirements to be implemented without hardware changes. The initial satellite structure and configuration designed to early requirements had significant growth potential, which subsequently allowed the payload capability (mass and power) to be more quadrupled between 1987 and 1992, with a minimum of re qualification. Astrium has since developed further the product line in a staged process which mainly increases the satellite power and propulsion capability and real estate for accommodation of equipment and antennas. The overall configuration of Eurostar satellites has essentially not changed in 20 years through the successive generations Eurostar E1000, E2000, E2000+ and E3000. They have just become larger, more powerful, with implementation costs reduced through longer orbit manoeuvring lifetime, and more efficient and powerful payloads. Nowadays the Eurostar E3000 series has been considerably enhanced and updated with the latest technologies, still maintaining the basic proven configuration.

Range

The Eurostar E3000 satellite model currently available offers power payload ranging from 4 to 14 kW. Satellites launch mass usually ranges between 4,000 and 6,000 kg.

Modularity

The Eurostar satellite structures are modular with a separate Service-Propulsion module and Communications module. Figure shows the modular design of the E3000 series around a compact Service module.

Satellites

List of Eurostar satellites

Satellite	Operator	Platform type	Launch date	Launch vehicle
Inmarsat-2 F1	Inmarsat	E1000	30/10/1990	Delta 2
Inmarsat-2 F2	Inmarsat	E1000	08/03/1991	Delta 2
Inmarsat-2 F3	Inmarsat	E1000	16/12/1991	Ariane 4
Telecom 2A	France Telecom	E2000	16/12/1991	Ariane 4
Inmarsat-2 F4	Inmarsat	E1000	15/04/1992	Ariane 4
Telecom 2B	France Telecom	E2000	15/04/1992	Ariane 4
Hispasat 1A	Hispasat	E2000	10/09/1992	Ariane 4
Hispasat 1B	Hispasat	E2000	22/07/1993	Ariane 4
Orion-1/Telstar 11	Orion/Loral	E2000	29/11/1994	Atlas 2A
Telecom 2C	France Telecom	E2000	06/12/1995	Ariane 4
Telecom 2D	France Telecom	E2000	08/08/1996	Ariane 4
Hot Bird 2	Eutelsat	E2000+	21/11/1996	Atlas 2A
Hot Bird 3	Eutelsat	E2000+	02/09/1997	Ariane 4
Hot Bird 4	Eutelsat	E2000+	28/02/1998	Ariane 4
Nilesat 101	Nilesat	E2000	28/04/1998	Ariane 4
ST-1	SingTel/CHT	E2000+	25/08/1998	Ariane 4
Hot Bird 5	Eutelsat	E2000+	09/10/1998	Atlas 2A
Afristar	WorldSpace	E2000+	28/10/1998	Ariane 4
Asiastar	WorldSpace	E2000+	21/03/2000	Ariane 5
Nilesat 102	Nilesat	E2000	17/08/2000	Ariane 4
Eutelsat W1	Eutelsat	E2000+	06/09/2000	Ariane 4
Astra 2B	SES Astra	E2000+	14/09/2000	Ariane 5
Hot Bird-7	Eutelsat	E2000+	11/12/2002	Ariane 5
Hellas-Sat	Hellas-Sat	E2000+	13/05/2003	Atlas V
Worldstar 3	WorldSpace	E2000+	(in storage)
Eutelsat W3A	Eutelsat	E3000	15/03/2004	Proton
Intelsat 10-02	Intelsat	E3000	16/06/2004	Proton
Amazonas 1	Hispasat	E3000	05/08/2004	Proton
Inmarsat-4 F1	Inmarsat	E3000	11/03/2005	Atlas V
Anik F1R	Telesat	E3000	09/09/2005	Proton
Inmarsat-4 F2	Inmarsat	E3000	08/11/2005	Sea Launch
Arabsat 4A	Arabsat	E2000+	28/02/2006	Proton
Hot Bird 8	Eutelsat	E3000	04/08/2006	Proton
Arabsat 4B	Arabsat	E2000+	09/11/2006	Proton
Skynet 5A	Paradigm	E3000	11/03/2007	Ariane 5
Anik F3	Telesat	E3000	09/04/2007	Proton
Skynet 5B	Paradigm	E3000	14/11/2007	Ariane 5
Skynet 5C	Paradigm	E3000	12/06/2008	Ariane 5
Badr-4	Arabsat	E2000+	08/07/2008	Ariane 5
Inmarsat-4 F3	Inmarsat	E3000	18/08/2008	Proton
Nimiq 4	Telesat	E3000	19/09/2008	Proton
Astra 1M	SES	E3000	05/11/2008	Proton
Hot Bird 9	Eutelsat	E3000	20/12/2008	Ariane 5
Hot Bird 10	Eutelsat	E3000	12/02/2009	Ariane 5
Amazonas 2	Hispasat	E3000	01/10/2009	Ariane 5
Astra 3B	SES	E3000	21/05/2010	Ariane 5
Badr-5	Arabsat	E3000	03/06/2010	Proton
Arabsat 5A	Arabsat	E3000	26/06/2010	Ariane 5
Ka-Sat	Eutelsat	E3000	26/12/2010	Proton
Yahsat 1A	Yahsat	E3000	22/04/2011	Ariane 5
Astra 1N	SES	E3000	06/08/2011	Ariane 5
Yahsat 1B	Yahsat	E3000
Express AM4	RSCC	E3000
Arabsat 5C	Arabsat	E3000
Badr-7	Arabsat	E3000
Atlantic Bird 7	Eutelsat	E3000
Astra 2E	SES	E3000
Astra 2F	SES	E3000
Astra 2G	SES	E3000
Astra 5B	SES	E3000
Skynet 5D	Paradigm	E3000
SES-6	SES	E3000
W5A	Eutelsat	E3000

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