The decision made just over a year ago by the European satellite operator, Eutelsat, to rename its entire satellite fleet according to the GEO location where they are serving has led to confusion with respect to which satellite is which, especially when they relocate and are then renamed. To counter this confusion, Flightglobal/Ascend’s SpaceTrak database, which is used by much of the space and related insurance industries, will henceforth rename all Eutelsat satellites according to the Eutelsat name followed by the international number (a number that does not change once a satellite is in orbit). This will be followed by the “official” Eutelsat name in brackets/parentheses.
For example, Eutelsat satellite located over 28.2 degrees East in the Geostationary orbital arc EUTELSAT 28A has now been renamed EUTELSAT 2001-011A (EUTELSAT 28A). This satelilte was originally launched as Eurobird 1.