Hot Bird 13B, known as Hot Bird 8 prior to 2012, is a geostationary communications satellite. Operated by Eutelsat, it provides direct-to-home (DTH) broadcasting services from geostationary orbit as part of Eutelsat's Hot Bird constellation at a longitude of 13° East.
Eutelsat and EADS Astrium announced in September 2003 the signature of a contract for the construction the Hot Bird 8 broadcast satellite. Hot Bird 8 was constructed by EADS Astrium, and is based on the Eurostar-3000 satellite bus. It has a mass of 4,875 kg (10,748 lb) and is expected to operate for 15 years. The spacecraft has 64 Ku-band transponders,[1] broadcasting satellite television and radio to Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East.[2]
Hot Bird 8, as it was then named, was launched by a Proton-M launch vehicle with a Briz-M upper stage. The launch took place from Site 200/39 at the Baikonur Cosmodrome, at 21:48:00 UTC on 4 August 2006 [3] with spacecraft separation occurring at 06:59:20 UTC on 5 August 2006.[4] The launch was conducted by International Launch Services.[5] The spacecraft was deployed into geosynchronous transfer orbit, raising itself to its operational geostationary position at 13° East by means of its apogee motor. The spacecraft is co-located with Hot Bird 13C and Hot Bird 13D.
