EDRS - A leap in satellite-based telecommunications technology

In Toulouse, France, at the Airbus Defense & Space facilities engineers and technicians are performing the final tests on Eutelsat’s EB9B telecommunications satellite and its hosted payloads EDRS-A and the Italian space agency ASI’s Opportunity Payload.
EDRS stands for European Data Relay System and has been designed to provide Europe with a fast and reliable extension to its telecommunications network.
EDRS-A is the first of two EDRS nodes and it will be launched on-board the Eutelsat satellite from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan in 2015.
This video explains what is EDRS and includes interviews with Magali Vaissiere, Director of Telecommunications and Integrated Applications, ESA and Michael Wittig, EDRS Project Manager, ESA.

[@ellieroar]

Awesome clip, keep it up!

[@Alexis_Cardoza]

I enjoyed your video. ill def watch more.

[@topbanana188]

ERDS with a capital N

[@WilliamGilbert_KSP_Player]

It makes me sad how people don't appreciate the hard work these people put in to provide things for us. These kinds of satellites are the ones that are providing internet connection to your computer that is your mother's basement.

[@topbanana188]

Fear not William Gilbert. This satellites does not provide Internet. Which, if you'd paid attention to the video, you'd have known. Besides, your mother's Internet connection is perfectly adequate for my needs.

[@topbanana188]

***** No letter N either

[@iliasasdf]

plz make an LEO to GEO space tug with ion engines.

[@AG-pm3tc]

is it even possible today?

[@iliasasdf]

אלכסנדר ברבר
Yes, I think there's a white paper from nasa advanced concepts discussing the problems and logistics.
The technology is certainly here, but of course there are problems, ie the power density of PVs and power requirements are a bit problematic, every payload must have docking systems etc, but it would be very economical, especially if payloads carried the fuel with them.
However adaptation of new technologies is really, really slow in the aerospace industry, mostly because the capital costs and R&D times dictate unreasonable lengths of testing.

[@AG-pm3tc]

i mean the idea of space tug is indeed possible, but i think that ion engines are still not powerful enough to fulfill the job, and other types don't have decent enough specific impuls to make it a viable option.
i may be wrong, but would love to ear some other opinions...

[@Chef_MDT2nd]

So it's a relay satellite?

[@Alt1re]

Globe Net, sounds like Skynet evolved to me....