EUTELSAT 70B Arrives at Sea Launch Home Port Facility in California. Launch on Track for 3 December

PARIS, October 17, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --

The EUTELSAT 70B satellite of Eutelsat Communications (Euronext Paris: ETL) has arrived in Long Beach, California and been transported to the Sea Launch "Home Port" facility. After standalone spacecraft operations are completed, EUTELSAT 70B will be handed over to Sea Launch's prime contractor, Energia Logistics, Ltd., to be mated with the payload support structure and integrated with the Zenit-3SL launch vehicle before departure to the launch site in November. The launch is scheduled for 3 December.

Built for Eutelsat by Astrium using its E3000 platform, EUTELSAT 70B is designed to optimise resources from the 70.5° East orbital slot that sits at the crossroads between Europe, Africa, Asia and Australia. With high frequency reuse, four powerful regional beams connected to 48 Ku-band transponders will be located on a single platform, more than doubling current capacity at 70.5° East for data and government services, broadband access, GSM backhauling and professional video exchanges.

EUTELSAT 70B will replace the EUTELSAT 70A satellite which will subsequently be redeployed to another location for continued commercial service.

The launch will be videostreamed live on http://www.eutelsat.com.

About Eutelsat Communications

Eutelsat Communications (Euronext Paris: ETL, ISIN code: FR0010221234) is the holding company of Eutelsat S.A. With capacity commercialised on 29 satellites that provide coverage across Europe, as well as the Middle East, Africa and significant parts of Asia and the Americas, Eutelsat is one of the world's three leading satellite operators. As of 30 June 2012 Eutelsat's satellites were broadcasting more than 4,250 television channels to over 200 million cable and satellite homes in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. The Group's satellites also serve a wide range of fixed and mobile telecommunications services, TV contribution markets, corporate networks, and broadband markets for Internet Service Providers and for transport, maritime and in-flight markets. Eutelsat's broadband subsidiary, Skylogic, markets and operates high speed Internet services through teleports in France and Italy that serve consumers, enterprises, local communities, government agencies and aid organisations in Europe, Africa, Asia and the Americas. Headquartered in Paris, Eutelsat and its subsidiaries employ just over 750 commercial, technical and operational professionals. This culturally diverse staff comprises employees from 30 countries. http://www.eutelsat.com.

SOURCE Eutelsat Communications