E-Bird suffers failure during in-orbit testing :-(
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Eutelsat’s e-Bird Satellite Has On-Orbit Problem (10th November 2003).
Eutelsat’s e-Bird telecommunications satellite has an in-orbit problem that could seriously compromise its Internet-transmission capability even before it begins its planned 10-year service life, according to industry officials.
Officials said it is too early to write off the satellite, launched Sept. 27, as a total loss. But they said the problem appears to affect all of its 20 Ku-band transponders.
Eutelsat spokeswoman Vanessa O’Connor declined Nov. 7 to comment on e-Bird’s health beyond saying the satellite would enter service at its 33 degrees east longitude orbital position in the second week of December. "That’s all the comment we are making on it," O’Connor said.
One industry official said e-Bird, a Boeing Satellite Systems 376 model, might well be brought into partial service, but added that early indications are it will not be able to fully meet performance expectations. "Calling it a total loss would be a worst-case analysis. It’s too early to say that," said this official.
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