Successful Launch for Boeing-Built e-BIRD Communications Satellite

    ST. LOUIS, Sept. 27 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- e-BIRD, the first satellite
 built by Boeing (NYSE:   BA) for Eutelsat, S.A. of France, was successfully
 launched to geosynchronous transfer orbit today from the Guiana Space Center
 in Kourou, French Guiana on the northeast coast of South America.  e-BIRD, a
 Boeing 376HP model satellite, was built by Boeing Satellite Systems (BSS) in
 El Segundo, Calif.
     The launch occurred at 4:15 p.m. PDT (23:15 GMT) with spacecraft
 separation from the launch vehicle occurring approximately 35 minutes
 afterward.  Approximately 32 minutes later, e-BIRD's first signals were
 received at a Telemetry, Tracking and Control Station at Hartebeesthoek, South
 Africa, confirming normal operation.
     "Forty years ago, Boeing started a communications revolution with the
 launch of Syncom, the world's first geosynchronous communications satellite,"
 said Dave Ryan, president of Boeing Satellite Systems International. "e-BIRD
 is the latest in that long line of reliable Boeing spin-stabilized spacecraft.
 A thorough check-out on orbit lies ahead for the satellite, and we are
 confident that e-BIRD will soon take its place as a vital long-term asset
 supporting Eutelsat's future growth."
     Destined for the 33 degrees East orbital slot, the all-Ku-band satellite
 is the first spacecraft optimized for two-way broadband Internet connectivity
 for users across a broad region of Europe and Turkey. The satellite carries 20
 active transponders and is designed to generate a minimum of 1,600 watts of
 power through the end of its 10-year service life.
 
     A unit of The Boeing Company, Boeing Integrated Defense Systems is one of
 the world's largest space and defense businesses. Headquartered in St. Louis,
 Boeing Integrated Defense Systems is a $25 billion business that provides
 systems solutions to its global military, government and commercial customers.
 It is a leading provider of intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance; the
 world's largest military aircraft manufacturer; the world's largest satellite
 manufacturer and a leading provider of space-based communications; the primary
 systems integrator for U.S. missile defense; NASA's largest contractor; and a
 global leader in launch services.
 
     For an electronic version of this release visit:
 http://www.boeing.com/news/releases/2003/q3/nr_030927s.html
 
 

SOURCE  Boeing Integrated Defense Systems