Eutelsat 8 West C

Eutelsat 8 West C, known as Hot Bird 6 prior to 2012 and Hot Bird 13A from 2012 to 2013, is a French communications satellite. Operated by Eutelsat, it provides direct to home broadcasting services from geostationary orbit. The satellite was part of Eutelsat's Hot Bird constellation at a longitude of 13 degrees east, until it was relocated to 8 degrees west between July and August 2013.

Constructed by Alcatel Space based on the Spacebus-3000B3 satellite bus, Eutelsat 8 West C is a 3,905-kilogram (8,609 lb) satellite with a design life of 12 years. It is equipped with an S400-12 apogee motor which was used for initial orbit-raising manoeuvres and an S10-18 engine for station keeping burns.[1] The spacecraft has 28 Ku-band and four Ka-band transponders.[2]

Hot Bird 6, as it was then named, was launched on the maiden flight of the Atlas V rocket, tail number AV-001, flying in the 401 configuration from Space Launch Complex 41 at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. Liftoff occurred at 22:05:00 on 21 August 2002,[3] with the carrier rocket successfully injecting its payload into geosynchronous transfer orbit. The launch was conducted by International Launch Services.[4]

Following launch, the satellite used its apogee motor to raise itself into geostationary orbit, positioning itself at a longitude of 13 degrees east. It operated at this position for almost eleven years before being removed from the slot in July 2013. In August it arrived at 8 degrees west, where it has entered service as Eutelsat 8 West C, to support the Eutelsat 8 West A satellite until the planned 2015 launch of the Eutelsat 8 West B satellite. It provides coverage of the Middle East, North Africa and eastern Europe.[5]