Eutelsat Quantum is fuelled prior to launch

A sophisticated telecommunications satellite capable of being completely repurposed in orbit has been fuelled ready for its launch.

Developed under an ESA Partnership Project called Eutelsat Quantum, the satellite is pioneering a new generation of fully reconfigurable satellites that can respond while in orbit to changing demands on Earth during their 15-year lifetimes.

It is the first reprogrammable commercial telecommunications satellite to operate in a high-frequency radio range called the Ku band that is used for data transmission and secure communications, notably with ships at sea.

Its beams can be redirected to move in almost real time to provide information to passengers on board moving planes or ships. The beams can also be adjusted at the push of a button, so that more data is delivered when demand surges.

The successful development and manufacture of the satellite resulted from the contribution of all industrial partners under an ESA Partnership Project with satellite operator Eutelsat. It is a UK flagship project with most of the satellite developed and manufactured by UK industry. Airbus is the prime and was responsible for manufacturing the satellite’s payload and Surry Satellite Technology Ltd manufactured the new platform.

ESA Partnership Projects maximise benefits to the European and Canadian space industries by forging trusted partnerships, thanks to efficient co-management tailored to commercial best practices.

The satellite has now been fuelled with propellant and oxidiser.

These will be ignited after the satellite has left its Ariane 5 launcher in the low-Earth orbit phase of the launch and will enable it to circularise its orbit to reach its final geostationary position some 36 000 kilometres above the Earth.

The remaining fuel will be used to maintain the satellite in its correct position during its expected 15-year lifetime.