Astrium, Europe's leading space company, has been selected by Eutelsat Communications (Euronext Paris: ELT) to build EUTELSAT 9B, a high-power broadcast satellite addressing high-growth video markets in Europe, to be launched at the end of 2014 and located at Eutelsat's 9E video neighbourhood.

Over its 15-year mission lifetime, EUTELSAT 9B will operate up to 66 Ku-band transponders connected to a broad European widebeam and four regional beams over European countries.

It will increase Eutelsat's capacity for video services in Europe, providing wide coverage for channels seeking maximum reach into satellite homes and terrestrial headends, as well as regional footprints addressing linguistic markets for digital TV in Italy, Germany, Greece and the Nordic/Baltic regions.

In addition to its broadcast mission, EUTELSAT 9B will host the first data relay payload for the European Data Relay Satellite System (EDRS) being implemented through a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) between Astrium and ESA.

The EDRS system of telecommunication satellites in geostationary orbit will enable very high data rate, bi-directional data relay communications between Low Earth Orbit Earth observation satellites and an associated ground segment.

Based on Astrium's successful Eurostar E3000 platform, EUTELSAT 9B will have a launch mass of 5,300 kg and an electrical power of 12 kW.

Evert Dudok, CEO of Astrium Satellites, said: "We are proud that Eutelsat has once again demonstrated its confidence in Astrium products following their recent order of Eutelsat 3B and the delivery of ATLANTIC BIRD 7 on September 24th.

"With EUTELSAT 9B, we will also provide the first mission for the best data highway in space, EDRS, enabling real-time availability of Earth observation data.

"The combination of a commercial mission and the hosted payload through an innovative partnership is a new step forward in the fruitful cooperation between Eutelsat and Astrium."

EUTELSAT 9B is the 21st satellite ordered by Eutelsat from Astrium.