New generation of electric satellites

The Hotbird 13F satellite, ordered in August 2018 by the French satellite telecommunications operator Eutelsat, will be the first geostationary relay from Airbus Defense and Space to use the all-electric Eurostar Neo platform.

The platform can accommodate up to 2 tons of payload and deliver more than 25kW of power.
It has been developed with the support of the European Space Agency, CNES, the UK Space Agency (Uksa) and other European agencies.
Hotbird 13F, with a power of 22kW, will be equipped with 80 Ku-band transponders.

Its mass at launch will be only 4,500 kg

Final tests before launch

At the beginning of February, Hotbird 13F's service and communication modules were successfully integrated at the Airbus Toulouse site.
The first was assembled at the Stevenage site in the east of England, and the second at Portsmouth in the south of the country.
The satellite has since begun its final series of tests prior to being placed in geostationary orbit.
Hotbird 13F, like its twin Hotbird 13G, is scheduled for launch next year using an Ariane 64 launcher from the Guyana Space Center.

Statement

This is an important milestone for our next generation Eurostar Neo program," said François Gaullier, Head of Telecommunications Systems at Airbus Space Systems, "and it is all the more remarkable that it was achieved despite the Covid pandemic. With increased payload capacity and more efficient electrical and thermal control systems, Eurostar Neo combines major innovations with proven technologies, resulting in a product range that will be more reliable than ever, while offering the best performance on the market".