March 30, 2006
Hot on the heels of the news that Arabsat 4A has been deorbited after its botched Proton launch comes the news that Express AM11 operating at 96.5E has been heavily damaged by an impact from either space debris or a micro-meteorite. The damage is severe enough for the Russians to be planning to deorbit it next week:
A bad couple of weeks for satellite operators
by AnaloguesatHot on the heels of the news that Arabsat 4A has been deorbited after its botched Proton launch comes the news that Express AM11 operating at 96.5E has been heavily damaged by an impact from either space debris or a micro-meteorite. The damage is severe enough for the Russians to be planning to deorbit it next week:
Yet more satellite problems
by AnaloguesatFollowing hot on the heels of the Arabsat 4A and Express AM11 problems, now Optus B1 has suffered a failure! This satellite serves Australia and New Zealand and is slotted at 160E. Press release from Sky New Zealand: OUTAGE ON SKY SATELLITE SERVICE SKY apologises for loss of SKY satellite services resulting from an outage on the Optus B1 Satellite that provides SKY’s signal. The satellite signal was lost after a routine positioning ...
HOT BIRD™ 7A gearing up for service
byEutelsat's HOT BIRD™ 7A broadcast satellite which was boosted into orbit by an Ariane 5 ECA rocket on March 11, has completed Low Earth Orbit Phase manoeuvres which include fully circularising its orbit at 36,000 km and deploying solar panels and antennas. Using dedicated facilities located at Eutelsat's Rambouillet teleport near Paris, these manoeuvres were managed by Eutelsat with support from Alcatel Alenia Space, HOT BIRD™ 7A's prime contractor, and Telespazio. The satellite is now undergoing a series of in-orbit tests prior to joining the HOT BIRD™ neighbourhood at 13 degrees East in April in order to assume broadcasts by HOT BIRD™ 1. HOT BIRD™ 7A will also host a new digital platform operated by Serbia Telekom and accompany the expansion of the digital platform operated by Swiss public broadcaster SRG SSR.
March 29, 2006
If you have a fta receiver and a dish pointing at 28E, you might want to have a look at 11426H 22000 5/6. AXN Satellite is currently transmitting in English instead of Italian. Please note, you CANNOT see this with a digibox as its flagged as encrypted....
AXN Satellite on 28E
by AnaloguesatIf you have a fta receiver and a dish pointing at 28E, you might want to have a look at 11426H 22000 5/6. AXN Satellite is currently transmitting in English instead of Italian. Please note, you CANNOT see this with a digibox as its flagged as encrypted....
Radio Caroline sinking anniversary
by AnaloguesatJust passed without much comment or rememberance was the 26th anniversary of the sinking of the Radio Caroline ship Mi Amigo. On the 20th March 1980 the poor old girl got into difficulties in a storm, and in huge waves started taking on water. Almost unbelievebly the crew managed to stay on air for most of the evening. In the huge seas the elderly hull took a hell of a beating ...
March 26, 2006
My previous post reminded me to point out to you that classic album hippy rock service Radio Caroline is still going. If you have a Sky box you can find them operating off the epg on 11390V 27500 2/3. If you have a sky digibox you will have to Add Channels (Services 4, 4) then use the parameters 11390, vertical, 27.5, 2/3. Follow the on screen instructionsto add the channel named ...
Radio Caroline on satellite
by AnaloguesatMy previous post reminded me to point out to you that classic album hippy rock service Radio Caroline is still going. If you have a Sky box you can find them operating off the epg on 11390V 27500 2/3. If you have a sky digibox you will have to Add Channels (Services 4, 4) then use the parameters 11390, vertical, 27.5, 2/3. Follow the on screen instructionsto add the channel named ...
March 25, 2006
Ow, now you're all thinking I've got a downer on HDTV, which is actually a long way from the truth. I have been trawling through the recent HD announcements here in the UK, including this meagre offering from the BBC. I found myself being rather disappointed with the fact that HDTV had been referred to as merely "a step change in television technology" which in my book undersold the ...
HDTV a step-change to catastrophe?
by BGonaSTICKOw, now you're all thinking I've got a downer on HDTV, which is actually a long way from the truth. I have been trawling through the recent HD announcements here in the UK, including this meagre offering from the BBC. I found myself being rather disappointed with the fact that HDTV had been referred to as merely "a step change in television technology" which in my book undersold the ...
Awaiting the Topfield TF7000HT HD
byDue to be released in Australia in April 2006 is the beautiful looking Topfield TF7000HT High Definition Set Top Box. The TF7000HT has a very chic look and comes in both black and silver to fit in with your colour scheme. The controls and VFD display are concealed behind the front tinted pull down cover. The twin-tuner satellite receiver incorporates an HDMI™ (High-Definition Multimedia Interface) connector carrying both crystal clear pictures and high quality 5.1 audio through a single cable, whilst other outputs include Component (Y,Pb,Pr), RGB (15pin), S-Video, Composite and both optical and coaxial audio outputs. With the Topfield HD STB you can use both the HD and SD outputs simultaneously, allowing you to connect directly to a VCR or DVD recorder for easy recording. It is also possible to use 2 HD outputs at the same time (e.g. HDMI to your LCD and RGB to a projector) with no switching required. The TF7000HT features automatic resolution switching allowing the STB to automatically mirror the transmission resolution (i.e. 1080i, 576p, 576i). This of course can be manually overridden and the STB will convert the format accordingly. It is not clear at this time whether the box is built around the DVB-S2 standard, but it does not come with a hard disk. Topfield Australia's General Manager Jai Kemp said, 'I am confident that the TF7000HT will add value to the Home Entertainment experience and will back up Topfield’s ongoing goal of providing seamless and reliable technology". The TF7000HT will carry a recommended retail price of $599 down under, and then allegedly roll out across Asia. A European release date has not yet been announced.
March 24, 2006
Have you done your HDTV research yet?
Maybe you're just tired at the thought of another new high-street technology to wade through. You just know that you've got to do loads of homework; buy loads of "What Geek-pit" type magazines and spend hours pouring over meaningless tech-specs and acronym gibberish.
Well, maybe. I guess you could go that way. Some people even like doing the ...
HDTV - It’s good, but is it going to be hard work?
by BGonaSTICK
Have you done your HDTV research yet?
Maybe you're just tired at the thought of another new high-street technology to wade through. You just know that you've got to do loads of homework; buy loads of "What Geek-pit" type magazines and spend hours pouring over meaningless tech-specs and acronym gibberish.
Well, maybe. I guess you could go that way. Some people even like doing the ...Lefties of the world unite!
by BGonaSTICK...and we're not talking politics here, oh no. Being a left hander has never really caused me any serious problems. How could it? But the fact remains that there is an horrendously discriminatory world out there, just waiting to be exploited by some mercenary cack-handed opportunist with a creative lawyer. In a world where Political Correctness is God, I wonder why we haven't seen a high-profile case? Maybe it's my age, but I find ...
March 16, 2006
This is not niche-market stuff. Have you ever thought "Wouldn't it be great if I could have satellite TV on my PC?" You are not the only one. If you're fairly new to the concept, then you have some exciting times ahead. Not only is it possible, it's highly affordable and highly effective.There is a huge fuss being made in the media at the moment about claims of 'Free satellite TV on your PC' or 'Free Sky on the Internet' services. A lot of it is just the usual Media Hype, but the TV companies and broadcasters are starting to take notice. In fact, they've been watching for quite a while.Are you confused about what's possible? Do you just want the bottom line on how (or even if) it works?That's quite easy. With the advent of 'Web-TV' the lines have been blurred somewhat, but you can either have the video streamed over an IP network (like the Internet, or your home LAN if you have one) or you can receive it from a satellite. Only the latter is real 'satellite TV'. The subject of much of the media attention of late has been the Internet streaming of things like Premiership football and movies. The reality is that the vast majority of those services are very poor-quality viewing and very unreliable. Even Sky's own video-on-demand service has had poor take-up and an incredibly high churn rate with many customers being disappointed by the quality. As for the dodgy websites offering the moon and delivering something a little less impressive, why do you think that most of them want a one-time, up-front membership fee?If there weren't so many of them, they would probably be quite rich by now, as people are sucked in by the tempting sales pitch.So what does that mean for someone who just wants some basic, free TV on their PC?Well, both the BBC and ITV are currently trialling web-streams of their flagship services and they're not too bad actually, but they will probably only be available to UK residents. Other domestic services across Europe are likely to follow suit due to the complex media rights agreements they have already signed with content providers.For high quality satellite TV on your PC there is a much better solution. Live TV, direct to your home. No middle man, no 'server busy, please try later'. No here-today, gone-tomorrow lifetime subscription services, no satellite subscription and no worries about who's knocking on your door - it's completely legal to watch the free to air (FTA) channels from all over Europe. Thousands of them.Of course, if you want to get free Premiership football, movies, porn or whatever then you can do that too via various mechanisms, but that's not what this is about.This is about a simple, standard and well-proven piece of hardware which plugs into either a vacant PCI slot in your motherboard, or a free USB port. Although the latter might sound appealing, far better results are generally achieved using the PCI card. It's just a faster device.A Skystar1 or Skystar2 card will provide the required platform to get the pictures onto your PC screen. It's so cheap, it's ridiculous! The only other thing you need is a satellite dish. That will rule this option out for some people, but it's no big deal for most. You can even piggy-back off your existing dish. Even your Sky minidish.You can source these cards very easily, cheaply and legally from the UK and all over Europe. They are also used to receive 'Internet by satellite' data links.One of the best things about the Technisat Skystar cards is that they will even decode HDTV (though not the new Sky channels) and live 4:2:2 format feeds.How much? Around £45 new for the Skystar 2 TV card.There are lots of other cards to choose from too, but the Skystar has an unrivalled after-market community support platform.Go and have a scout around and see what you can get one for. Then come back here and we'll help you set it all up, 'cos we're nice like that!What's in it for us? Well, nothing actually. We don't sell anything. We just get a kick out of helping you get free TV. Have a browse of our TV cards section <here> for more information.Satellite TV on my PC? Oh yes, and you're going to love it!www.satellitehelp.co.uk
Satellite TV on my PC - Possible?
byThis is not niche-market stuff. Have you ever thought "Wouldn't it be great if I could have satellite TV on my PC?" You are not the only one. If you're fairly new to the concept, then you have some exciting times ahead. Not only is it possible, it's highly affordable and highly effective.There is a huge fuss being made in the media at the moment about claims of 'Free satellite TV on your PC' or 'Free Sky on the Internet' services. A lot of it is just the usual Media Hype, but the TV companies and broadcasters are starting to take notice. In fact, they've been watching for quite a while.Are you confused about what's possible? Do you just want the bottom line on how (or even if) it works?That's quite easy. With the advent of 'Web-TV' the lines have been blurred somewhat, but you can either have the video streamed over an IP network (like the Internet, or your home LAN if you have one) or you can receive it from a satellite. Only the latter is real 'satellite TV'. The subject of much of the media attention of late has been the Internet streaming of things like Premiership football and movies. The reality is that the vast majority of those services are very poor-quality viewing and very unreliable. Even Sky's own video-on-demand service has had poor take-up and an incredibly high churn rate with many customers being disappointed by the quality. As for the dodgy websites offering the moon and delivering something a little less impressive, why do you think that most of them want a one-time, up-front membership fee?If there weren't so many of them, they would probably be quite rich by now, as people are sucked in by the tempting sales pitch.So what does that mean for someone who just wants some basic, free TV on their PC?Well, both the BBC and ITV are currently trialling web-streams of their flagship services and they're not too bad actually, but they will probably only be available to UK residents. Other domestic services across Europe are likely to follow suit due to the complex media rights agreements they have already signed with content providers.For high quality satellite TV on your PC there is a much better solution. Live TV, direct to your home. No middle man, no 'server busy, please try later'. No here-today, gone-tomorrow lifetime subscription services, no satellite subscription and no worries about who's knocking on your door - it's completely legal to watch the free to air (FTA) channels from all over Europe. Thousands of them.Of course, if you want to get free Premiership football, movies, porn or whatever then you can do that too via various mechanisms, but that's not what this is about.This is about a simple, standard and well-proven piece of hardware which plugs into either a vacant PCI slot in your motherboard, or a free USB port. Although the latter might sound appealing, far better results are generally achieved using the PCI card. It's just a faster device.A Skystar1 or Skystar2 card will provide the required platform to get the pictures onto your PC screen. It's so cheap, it's ridiculous! The only other thing you need is a satellite dish. That will rule this option out for some people, but it's no big deal for most. You can even piggy-back off your existing dish. Even your Sky minidish.You can source these cards very easily, cheaply and legally from the UK and all over Europe. They are also used to receive 'Internet by satellite' data links.One of the best things about the Technisat Skystar cards is that they will even decode HDTV (though not the new Sky channels) and live 4:2:2 format feeds.How much? Around £45 new for the Skystar 2 TV card.There are lots of other cards to choose from too, but the Skystar has an unrivalled after-market community support platform.Go and have a scout around and see what you can get one for. Then come back here and we'll help you set it all up, 'cos we're nice like that!What's in it for us? Well, nothing actually. We don't sell anything. We just get a kick out of helping you get free TV. Have a browse of our TV cards section <here> for more information.Satellite TV on my PC? Oh yes, and you're going to love it!www.satellitehelp.co.uk
March 13, 2006
Well, it's certainly taken it's time to hit the site, but the draft version is out and ready for your use. We really would appreciate your feedback and constructive criticism on the forums. A lot of work has gone into this and we hope that you'll agree that it's the most detailed and comprehensive guide on the Internet.It's more of a free motorised satellite e-book really.We hope you like it.Future releases will incorporate your suggestions for improvements, useful diagrams and photographs, plus any other hints and tips we come across.If you have already installed a motor and don't have it working quite the way you expected, this should certainly solve your problems too ;)How to install a DiSEqC motor the right way
Fantastic new DiSEqC motor install guide!
by Alan HartenWell, it's certainly taken it's time to hit the site, but the draft version is out and ready for your use. We really would appreciate your feedback and constructive criticism on the forums. A lot of work has gone into this and we hope that you'll agree that it's the most detailed and comprehensive guide on the Internet.It's more of a free motorised satellite e-book really.We hope you like it.Future releases will incorporate your suggestions for improvements, useful diagrams and photographs, plus any other hints and tips we come across.If you have already installed a motor and don't have it working quite the way you expected, this should certainly solve your problems too ;)How to install a DiSEqC motor the right way
March 12, 2006
March 11, 2006 Ariane 5 deploys another dual-satellite payload into orbit! Arianespace kicked off its 2006 launch activities with the Ariane 5 ECA's successful orbiting of two telecommunications satellites from Europe's Spaceport in French Guiana tonight. Spain's SPAINSAT governmental telecommunications spacecraft and the Eutelsat HOT BIRD 7A television broadcast platform were injected into geostationary transfer orbit (GTO) in a mission that marked another demonstration of Ariane 5's dual-satellite payload capacity. The 3,680-kg SPAINSAT was deployed approximately 27 minutes after the Ariane 5's liftoff from Europe's Spaceport in French Guiana, followed about 5 minutes later by the separation of HOT BIRD 7A, which had a mass of 4,100 kg.HOT BIRD 7A was the 21st satellite orbited by Arianespace for Europe's Eutelsat telecommunications operator. "The privileged relationship of our two companies is particularly exemplary, and we are particularly pleased to confirm it again this evening," Le Gall said. "I want to thank [Eutelsat Communications CEO] Giuliano Berretta and all of his shareholders for the confidence they place in us." The HOT BIRD 7A spacecraft will be located at an orbital slot of 13 deg. East – which is Eutelsat's flagship location for television and radio program broadcasting. Built by Alcatel Alenia Space in Cannes, France, this platform carries 38 Ku-band transponders, and it will renew Eutelsat's current capacity and provide redundancy for its HOT BIRD family of relay spacecraft.
Hotbird 7A makes it away at last
byMarch 11, 2006 Ariane 5 deploys another dual-satellite payload into orbit! Arianespace kicked off its 2006 launch activities with the Ariane 5 ECA's successful orbiting of two telecommunications satellites from Europe's Spaceport in French Guiana tonight. Spain's SPAINSAT governmental telecommunications spacecraft and the Eutelsat HOT BIRD 7A television broadcast platform were injected into geostationary transfer orbit (GTO) in a mission that marked another demonstration of Ariane 5's dual-satellite payload capacity. The 3,680-kg SPAINSAT was deployed approximately 27 minutes after the Ariane 5's liftoff from Europe's Spaceport in French Guiana, followed about 5 minutes later by the separation of HOT BIRD 7A, which had a mass of 4,100 kg.HOT BIRD 7A was the 21st satellite orbited by Arianespace for Europe's Eutelsat telecommunications operator. "The privileged relationship of our two companies is particularly exemplary, and we are particularly pleased to confirm it again this evening," Le Gall said. "I want to thank [Eutelsat Communications CEO] Giuliano Berretta and all of his shareholders for the confidence they place in us." The HOT BIRD 7A spacecraft will be located at an orbital slot of 13 deg. East – which is Eutelsat's flagship location for television and radio program broadcasting. Built by Alcatel Alenia Space in Cannes, France, this platform carries 38 Ku-band transponders, and it will renew Eutelsat's current capacity and provide redundancy for its HOT BIRD family of relay spacecraft.
Trouble aligning your dish system?
byIf you are having trouble aligning your satellite dish or motor, then we have something to help you.Novices and experts alike have trouble sometimes. It's particularly difficult for beginners to visualise an imaginary fleet of satellites above their homes. If you have not achieved the nirvana of perfect elevation, azimuth and declination, or don't even know what they are, we can help.We have produced a diagrammatic representation which should aid those wishing to either improve the arc-tracking of their motorised system, move a dish to another satellite location, or just show what's possible for you in the future.There is a whole heap of entertainment up there in the sky. Let us show you how to get it! Satellite Arc Tuning
March 8, 2006
In the latest of our FAQ's/How-to's to roll off the presses, we discuss the factors which should drive your decision to motorise, and which type of motor to get. We'll not be deciding for you, but after digesting the contents you should be that much closer to your intended goal.The guide is aimed at beginners wanting to understand the basic options.Read it here: Satellite Dish Motor Selection © 2006 www.satellitehelp.co.uk. All rights reserved.
Should I buy a DiSEqC motor?
byIn the latest of our FAQ's/How-to's to roll off the presses, we discuss the factors which should drive your decision to motorise, and which type of motor to get. We'll not be deciding for you, but after digesting the contents you should be that much closer to your intended goal.The guide is aimed at beginners wanting to understand the basic options.Read it here: Satellite Dish Motor Selection © 2006 www.satellitehelp.co.uk. All rights reserved.
March 7, 2006
Arianespace's upcoming Ariane 5 ECA heavy-lift mission moved one step closer to liftoff with a full dress rehearsal, which was held at the Spaceport in French Guiana on March 6th. The rehearsal, which is part of pre-launch preparations for every Ariane flight, brought all key mission elements into play for a simulated countdown. Participating in the exercise was the complete launch team - including Arianespace mission personnel, technicians for the dual-satellite payload of SPAINSAT and HOT BIRD 7A, and the Spaceport’s launch infrastructure team - lead by the Range Operations director (DDO), and involving meteorologists, operators at the downrange network of tracking stations, etc. The countdown was started 6 hours prior to the simulated liftoff, and continued through the steps leading to deployment of SPAINSAT and HOT BIRD 7A into geostationary transfer orbit. TV coverage of the March 9th launch can be found here:Satellite: HOT BIRD™ 1 @ 13° EST Network ID: 318 Transport stream ID 500 Transponder 5 Name: Business Tv Frequency: 11303.660 Pol. X S/R 27.500 Msymb Fec 3/4 Service ID 8404 Pmt Pid 212 Pid Video 340 Pid Audio 1 341 Pid Audio 2 342The launch is scheduled as soon as possible within the following launch window: 7:06 p.m. - 8:13 p.m., Kourou, French Guiana 5:06 p.m. - 6:13 p.m., Washington , D.C. 22:06 - 23:13 GMT 23:06 - 00:13, Paris and Madrid. The exercise enabled all participants to have a hands-on experience with the end-to-end launch procedure, including the mission's two customers and their satellite manufacturers - who monitored the status of their payloads, both from the equipment installed on-site at the Spaceport and at their home satellite control master stations. Simulated launcher data using tapes from a previous mission was broadcast through the network, providing realistic conditions for participants at the Spaceport and the downrange tracking stations at Natal, Ascension, Libreville and Malindi. Weather balloons were deployed from the launch facility to measure the temperature and winds at various altitudes above the Spaceport. In total, as many as 200 persons in French Guiana, Africa, Europe and the United States participated in the dress rehearsal.Good luck, and let's hope it's third time lucky!
Hotbird launch on Business TV
byArianespace's upcoming Ariane 5 ECA heavy-lift mission moved one step closer to liftoff with a full dress rehearsal, which was held at the Spaceport in French Guiana on March 6th. The rehearsal, which is part of pre-launch preparations for every Ariane flight, brought all key mission elements into play for a simulated countdown. Participating in the exercise was the complete launch team - including Arianespace mission personnel, technicians for the dual-satellite payload of SPAINSAT and HOT BIRD 7A, and the Spaceport’s launch infrastructure team - lead by the Range Operations director (DDO), and involving meteorologists, operators at the downrange network of tracking stations, etc. The countdown was started 6 hours prior to the simulated liftoff, and continued through the steps leading to deployment of SPAINSAT and HOT BIRD 7A into geostationary transfer orbit. TV coverage of the March 9th launch can be found here:Satellite: HOT BIRD™ 1 @ 13° EST Network ID: 318 Transport stream ID 500 Transponder 5 Name: Business Tv Frequency: 11303.660 Pol. X S/R 27.500 Msymb Fec 3/4 Service ID 8404 Pmt Pid 212 Pid Video 340 Pid Audio 1 341 Pid Audio 2 342The launch is scheduled as soon as possible within the following launch window: 7:06 p.m. - 8:13 p.m., Kourou, French Guiana 5:06 p.m. - 6:13 p.m., Washington , D.C. 22:06 - 23:13 GMT 23:06 - 00:13, Paris and Madrid. The exercise enabled all participants to have a hands-on experience with the end-to-end launch procedure, including the mission's two customers and their satellite manufacturers - who monitored the status of their payloads, both from the equipment installed on-site at the Spaceport and at their home satellite control master stations. Simulated launcher data using tapes from a previous mission was broadcast through the network, providing realistic conditions for participants at the Spaceport and the downrange tracking stations at Natal, Ascension, Libreville and Malindi. Weather balloons were deployed from the launch facility to measure the temperature and winds at various altitudes above the Spaceport. In total, as many as 200 persons in French Guiana, Africa, Europe and the United States participated in the dress rehearsal.Good luck, and let's hope it's third time lucky!
March 4, 2006
Here's a quick guide on how to setup ProgDVB to use a DiSEqC motor. It's not the most obvious thing to do as the interface is far from logical, but it's easy once you know how.Read it here: ProgDVB with DiSEqC motor
ProgDVB setup with DiSEqC motor
byHere's a quick guide on how to setup ProgDVB to use a DiSEqC motor. It's not the most obvious thing to do as the interface is far from logical, but it's easy once you know how.Read it here: ProgDVB with DiSEqC motor
‘Orbit’ package begins broadcasts
byThe 'Orbit' bouquet is now up and running on ATLANTIC BIRD 2 (352.0E - 8.0W)It looks to be an extremely good package, with many well known channels including Animal Planet, The History Channel, Disney Channel, Cartoon Network, Boomerang, TCM and several movie channels - all with English audio. It carries many high profile radio stations too such as Radio One and Virgin Radio.Early reports suggest that it makes very good viewing. It's not yet known how easy it is to get a subscription in the UK.It seems to be encrypted with Mediaguard, and subscription apparently involves having a proprietary Orbit receiver installed.A full channel line-up can be found at http://www.satcodx9.com/3521/eng/
March 1, 2006
Launch of HOT BIRD™ 7A postponed to Thursday, March 9, 2006 Following the postponement of the launch on Friday, February 24, 2006, Alcatel Alenia Space has performed a complete verification of the telemetry signal system of Eutelsat's HOT BIRD™ 7A satellite. As a result the satellite was confirmed to be in perfect health and ready for launch. Furthermore, on Saturday, February 25, the disconnection of a cryogenic purging umbilical line between the launch table mast and the launch vehicle led Arianespace to roll back the launch vehicle to the Final Assembly Building for the change of the connector. The launch is now scheduled during the night of Thursday, March 9, 2006, as soon as possible within the following launch window: 7:06 p.m. - 8:13 p.m., Kourou, French Guiana 5:06 p.m. - 6:13 p.m., Washington , D.C. 22:06 - 23:13 GMT 23:06 - 00:13, Paris and Madrid.
Hotbird 7A goes on March 9th
byLaunch of HOT BIRD™ 7A postponed to Thursday, March 9, 2006 Following the postponement of the launch on Friday, February 24, 2006, Alcatel Alenia Space has performed a complete verification of the telemetry signal system of Eutelsat's HOT BIRD™ 7A satellite. As a result the satellite was confirmed to be in perfect health and ready for launch. Furthermore, on Saturday, February 25, the disconnection of a cryogenic purging umbilical line between the launch table mast and the launch vehicle led Arianespace to roll back the launch vehicle to the Final Assembly Building for the change of the connector. The launch is now scheduled during the night of Thursday, March 9, 2006, as soon as possible within the following launch window: 7:06 p.m. - 8:13 p.m., Kourou, French Guiana 5:06 p.m. - 6:13 p.m., Washington , D.C. 22:06 - 23:13 GMT 23:06 - 00:13, Paris and Madrid.
