Eutelsat has announced (22 March) an order for a new GEO satellite, Eutelsat 36D, from Airbus Defence and Space (Airbus DS). This satellite is intended to replace and provide service continuity for Eutelsat 36B located at 36 degrees East. Eutelsat considers this one of its key orbital locations.
The new satellite will also provide improvements to coverage area and performance to customers located in Africa, Russia and Europe. It will be based on the Airbus Eurostar Neo platform and will carry 70 physical Ku-band transponders. Launch is planned for the first half of 2024, before the expected 2026 end-of-life of Eutelsat 36B. While the value of this order has not been disclosed, Eutelsat says it will not compromise its CapEx reduction target.