[March 22, 2004] Saft's Li-ion Batteries in GEO With W3A PARIS and WASHINGTON, March 22 /PRNewswire/ -- In an industry first, Saft's lithium-ion batteries are now operating in a geostationary earth orbit (GEO) on Eutelsat's W3A telecommunications and broadcast satellite. EADS Astrium, Saft's customer, is the turnkey supplier of this newest space infrastructure. The March 16 launch of Eutelsat's W3A by a Proton rocket was the beginning of a revolution in GEO satellite power. Never before have rechargeable lithium-ion batteries been used in a geosynchronous earth orbit. Saft is the pioneer supplier of this advanced battery technology to W3A's prime contractor, EADS Astrium. Saft's Li-ion batteries serve in a wide variety of applications on the ground. Saft's lithium technology has also been selected for the next- generation F-35 (JSF, or Joint Strike Fighter) jet, for which Lockheed Martin is the prime contractor. And Saft's nickel-hydrogen batteries have a proven track record in GEO service. But this is the first time that a GEO satellite will benefit from Saft's lower-weight, smaller-volume Li-ion batteries. As GEO satellites fly in an orbit 36,000 km (about 21,000 miles) above the Earth, launch weight and mass are critical factors. By reducing battery weight and space on EADS Astrium's Eurostar E3000 platform, Saft enables Eutelsat to add more revenue-generating transponders to the payload. In January, EADS Astrium signed a contract with Saft for Li-ion batteries for HotBird 8, another spacecraft in the Eutelsat series. It adds to the list of Li-ion satellite programs that Saft will be working on with EADS Astrium and builds upon the industry's confidence in Saft's technology. 15-year service life Weighing 4,250 kg at launch, W3A will provide a full range of services in the Ku and Ka bands, including enterprise links, Internet service and television broadcast. Users in W3A's footprint range across Europe, Africa and the Middle East. W3A's battery is made of Saft's Li-Ion VES 140 cells, which are manufactured in Saft's plant in Bordeaux, France, and assembled into modules and tested at Saft's facility in Poitiers, France. The batteries, as the payload itself, are designed to perform throughout the 15-year service lifetime of the satellite. In fact, this performance requirement is regularly exceeded, even in the tough environment of space. Like other satellites, the W3A will use its batteries only when it is hidden from the Sun by the Earth. The rest of the time, it will rely on solar panels for electric power of 9,600 watts (DC), even at its end of life. First of many The lifetime of GEO satellites has often exceeded their owners' expectations, resulting in longer revenue streams, yet they do eventually reach the end of their service life in space. The preferred strategic orbits around the Equator are currently populated by many GEO spacecraft that are working successfully for a wide range of owners and operators around the planet. As the current fleets of GEO satellites are renewed, Saft's lithium-ion batteries remain ready to serve their mission-critical assignment of ensuring reliable performance even in this extremely harsh environment at the same time as they lighten the weight and reduce the volume that batteries need on the payload's platform. W3A is the first of many GEOs that Saft's lithium-ion batteries will fly on. Saft currently has contracts for 13 satellites with lithium-ion batteries. More about Eutelsat: With capacity commercialized on satellites that provide coverage from the Americas to Far East Asia, Eutelsat is one of the world's leading satellite operators. This satellite infrastructure gives the company the flexibility to offer direct-to-home broadcasting, video distribution and contribution services, corporate network solutions, positioning and communications services for mobile users and a portfolio of IP applications which include broadband Internet access and Internet backbone connections. Eutelsat has developed a range of turnkey broadband products (D- STAR, D-SAT, OPENSKYT) for local communities, SMEs, SoHos and consumers beyond ADSL access. Eutelsat's satellites broadcast more than 1,400 TV and 700 radio stations to an audience of 110 million cable and satellite homes. http://www.eutelsat.com/ More about EADS Astrium: EADS Astrium is Europe's leading satellite company. Its activities cover complete civil and military telecommunications and Earth observation systems, science and navigation programs, and all spacecraft and avionics and equipment. EADS Astrium is wholly owned by EADS Space. In 2002, EADS Space had sales of 2.4 billion euros and 11,500 employees in France, Germany, the U.K. and Spain. About Saft The Saft group is a global multi-technology battery specialist with a leadership position in its chosen markets. A newly independent company, Saft is No. 1 in the world for the manufacture of high-end batteries for industrial use in transport, stationary applications and security lighting; world leader in primary lithium batteries for both military and industrial applications and Europe's leading manufacturer of specialized batteries for the defense and space industries. Saft's 4000 dedicated employees are deployed in 23 countries around the world. For more information, visit Saft at http://www.saftbatteries.com/ Saft CONTACT: Jill Ledger, Corporate communication director, +33-1-4993-1777,[email protected], or Tristan Grivel, General manager, space anddefence division, +33-5-4955-4158, [email protected], both ofSaft Web site: http://www.saftbatteries.com/http://www.eutelsat.com/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]