Satmex
Satmex (Satélites Mexicanos) was a company set up in Mexico in the mid-1990s through 2014 that operated space communication satellites that provide services to the Americas.
In 2014, it was acquired by Eutelsat, and Eutelsat now operates the three satellites formerly operated by Satmex.
History
SATMEX existed as a company from approximately 1997 until 2014, when it was acquired by Eutelsat. At the time of the acquisition in 2014, SATMEX had three operating satellites prior to the sale to Eutelsat: Satmex 8, Satmex 6, Satmex 5. The three communication satellites provide local, regional and continental coverage in C- and Ku-band:
Timeline
2014
On May 21 Eutelsat Americas realigned its satellite names with the Eutelsat brand: Satmex 5 = EUTELSAT 115 West A; Satmex 6 = EUTELSAT 113 West A; Satmex 8 = EUTELSAT 117 West A.
March 7 Satmex was renamed Eutelsat Americas.
On January 2 Eutelsat Communications announced closure of the transaction to acquire 100% of the share capital of Satélites Mexicanos, S.A. de C.V. (“Satmex”) having obtained all required government and regulatory approvals. As previously communicated, the transaction amounts to 831 million$. Based in Mexico, Satmex operates three satellites at contiguous positions, 113° West (Satmex 6), 114.9° West (Satmex 5) and 116.8° West (Satmex 8) that cover 90% of the population of the Americas.
Eutelsat 113 West A
Eutelsat 113 West A, formerly Satmex-6, is a geostationary communications satellite which is operated by Eutelsat. Originally built for Mexico's Satmex, it was launched in 2006. The satellite was acquired by Eutelsat in its 2014 merger with Satmex, and renamed Eutelsat 113 West A in May. It is used to provide communications services to the Americas, Hawaii and the Caribbean.
Constructed by Space Systems/Loral, Satmex 6 is based on the LS-1300X satellite bus. It is equipped with 36 G/H band (IEEE C band) and 24 J band (IEEE Ku-band) transponders, and at launch it had a mass of 5,456 kilograms (12,028 lb), with an expected operational lifespan of 15 years.
Arianespace was contracted to launch Satmex 6, using an Ariane 5ECA carrier rocket flying from ELA-3 at the Guiana Space Centre. The launch occurred at 21:09 GMT on 27 May 2006, and placed Satmex 6, along with the Thaicom 5 satellite, into a geosynchronous transfer orbit. At the time, this was the heaviest dual-satellite payload ever launched to geostationary transfer orbit.
Eutelsat 115 West B
Eutelsat 115 West B (previously SATMEX 7) is a communications satellite that is scheduled to be operated by Eutelsat, providing video, data, government, and mobile services for the Americas. The satellite was designed and manufactured by Boeing Space Systems, and is a Boeing 702SP model communication satellite. It will be located at 115 degrees West longitude. It was launched on board a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket on 2 March 2015 (UTC time).
The satellite is solely propelled by electrically powered spacecraft propulsion, with the on board thrusters used for both geostationary orbit insertion and station keeping.
The satellite had a launch mass of 4,861 pounds (2,205 kg). It is notable for being the first commercial communications satellite in orbit to use electric propulsion, providing a significant weight savings. Eutelsat 115 West B was launched with another Boeing 702SP satellite, ABS-3A, on the same rocket.
Eutelsat 115 West B is planned to be the first in a family of four satellites in the Eutelsat constellation. The satellite is scheduled for entry into service in November 2015.
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