Eutelsat 113 West A is Out of Service Following an Anomaly 

Eutelsat’s headquarters in Paris. Photo: Eutelsat

Eutelsat has ended operations on the Eutelsat 113 West A satellite after the satellite experienced an anomaly on Jan. 31. The satellite launched in 2006 and was approaching the end of its life in orbit. 

Eutelsat did not detail the anomaly, but said teams are “deploying all possible efforts to mitigate the potential adverse consequences on orbital safety.” The operator is also working to minimize the disruption to customers impacted, transferring customer operations to satellites at the 115 and 117 degrees West positions.

Eutelsat 113 West A provided coverage of the Americas in C- and Ku-bands serving customers in video, data, and government services on 18 operational transponders. It was originally built for Mexico’s Satmex and renamed after it was acquired by Eutelsat in 2014. 

The satellite was no longer part of an in orbit insurance policy because it was approaching the end of its life. Eutelsat said the financial impact is around 3 million euros in fiscal year 2024 and around 5 to 6 million euros per year between FY 25-28. It does not alter financial objectives for FY 2024.