ECS-4 retires after many years service

28 Jul 2003

ECS-4 was one of the first European Communications Satellites to cover the whole European continent, enabling coverage for cable television, telephone communications, specialised services and Eurovision transmissions.

ECS-4/Eutelsat I-F4 (click
for larger image)

ESA developed and launched 5 European Communications Satellites between 1983 and 1988 for use by Eutelsat. The ECS system anticipated the need for digital transmission techniques for telephony, allowing for high-speed data traffic.

The ECS system has accumulated more than 3 million hours of operation.

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