EADS Astrium will be the builders of the Hot Bird 8 broadcast satellite, to be launched in early 2006 by Arianespace on-board an Ariane 5 rocket. With 64 transponders that can be operated simultaneously, of which 58 transponders will operate at full power for most of the satellites lifetime, Hot Bird 8 is the largest satellite yet ordered by Eutelsat. It will join the companys constellation of Hot Bird broadcasting satellites at 13 degrees East that provide television, radio and interactive services to almost 100 million cable and satellite homes in Europe, North Africa and the Middle East.
The satellite has been designed to cover all 102 Ku-band transponders/frequencies at 13 degrees East which means that it can substitute any transponder on the other Hot Bird satellites.
Hot Bird 8 is based on the E3000 version of the Eurostar family, already ordered by five major satellite operators. 34 Eurostar spacecraft have been ordered to date, of which 23 have already been launched and have proven highly reliable in operational service.