Eutelsat 36A (formerly Eutelsat W4 and Eutelsat 3 F-4) is a French

communications satellite A communications satellite is an artificial satellite that relays and amplifies radio telecommunication signals via a transponder; it creates a communication channel between a source transmitter and a receiver at different locations on Earth. C ...

operated by Eutelsat Communications. It was constructed by

Alcatel Space Thales Alenia Space () is a Franco-Italian aerospace manufacturer. A joint venture between the French technology corporation Thales Group (67%) and Italian defense conglomerate Leonardo (33%), the company is the largest satellite manufacture ...

and is based on the Spacebus-3000B2

satellite bus A satellite bus (or spacecraft bus) is the main body and structural component of a satellite or spacecraft, in which the payload and all scientific instruments are held. Bus-derived satellites are opposed to specially produced satellites. Bus-d ...

Launch

Eutelsat W4 was launched on the maiden flight of the Atlas III

launch vehicle A launch vehicle or carrier rocket is a rocket designed to carry a payload (spacecraft or satellites) from the Earth's surface to outer space. Most launch vehicles operate from a launch pad, launch pads, supported by a missile launch contro ...

, which used the Atlas IIIA configuration. The launch was contracted by

International Launch Services International Launch Services, Inc. (ILS) is a joint venture with exclusive rights to the worldwide sale of commercial Angara and Proton rocket launch services. Proton launches take place at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan while Angara is l ...

(ILS), and occurred on 24 May 2000, at 23:10:05 UTC from Space Launch Complex 36B at the

Cape Canaveral Air Force Station Cape Canaveral Space Force Station (CCSFS) is an installation of the United States Space Force's Space Launch Delta 45, located on Cape Canaveral in Brevard County, Florida. Headquartered at the nearby Patrick Space Force Base, the statio ...

(CCAFS).

Eutelsat W4

Following its launch and on-orbit testing, it was placed in

geostationary orbit A geostationary orbit, also referred to as a geosynchronous equatorial orbit''Geostationary orbit'' and ''Geosynchronous (equatorial) orbit'' are used somewhat interchangeably in sources. (GEO), is a circular geosynchronous orbit in altitud ...

at 36° East, from where it provides communications services to Russia and Africa. It carries thirty-one

transponders In telecommunications, a transponder is a device that, upon receiving a signal, emits a different signal in response. The term is a blend of ''transmitter'' and ''responder''. In air navigation or radio frequency identification, a flight trans ...

, and has an expected on-orbit lifespan of 12 years.

Eutelsat 36A

In December 2011, Eutelsat announced, that their satellite assets will be renamed under a unified brand name effective from March 2012. This satellite became Eutelsat 36A.

Eutelsat 70C

Eutelsat 70C at 70.5° East in 2016 and at 70.3° East in 2018–2019.

Eutelsat 80A

Eutelsat 80A at 80.5° East in 2017–2018.

Eutelsat 48E

Eutelsat 48E at 48° East since 2019.

References

{{Orbital launches in 2000 Communications satellites in geostationary orbit Spacecraft launched in 2000 Satellites using the Spacebus bus Eutelsat satellites