Eutelsat's W2M satellite is delivered to Cayenne by Antonov An-124

The W2M satellite payload for Arianespace’s upcoming Ariane 5 mission arrived today at Rochambeau International Airport in in French Guiana,

The W2M satellite is the product of an alliance between Europe’s EADS Astrium and the ANTRIX commercial arm of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). ANTRIX/ISRO supplied the satellite bus, and also was responsible the spacecraft’s integration and test before its shipment to French Guiana.

WM2 satellite in container arrives Rochambeau airport, Cayenne

EADS Astrium is prime contractor in charge of overall W2M program management, and the company also designed and built the communications payload.

W2M will join HOT BIRD 9 on the Ariane 5 launcher’s sixth, and final, flight in 2008 and once in orbit will provide television and radio broadcasting across Europe. It also carries one steerable beam that can be re-oriented in orbit according to market requirements.

Weighing approximately 3,460 kg. at liftoff, W2M will typically operate 26 transponders in Ku-band, with the capacity for up to 32 depending on operational modes. It has a designed operational lifetime of more than 15 years.

The Antonov An-124-100 provides the largest available fuselage size to accommodate large space payloads within their environmental containers thereby giving spacecraft designers maximum flexibility.