February 12, 2021 – Airbus Defence and Space has successfully completed a key milestone in the manufacturing of the first Eurostar Neo satellite, with the successful integration of the Service and Communication Modules of EUTELSAT HOTBIRD 13F. Airbus’ Portsmouth team delivered the EUTELSAT HOTBIRD 13F Communications Module to Toulouse at the start of January 2021 where it joined the Stevenage and Toulouse produced Service Module. The EUTELSAT HOTBIRD 13F satellite is now beginning its final series of tests in preparation for its launch. With the new Eurostar Neo platform, the payload capacity can be greatly increased, with the Communication Module able to accommodate up to 2 tons of payload and provide payload power of more than 25kW.  EUTELSAT HOTBIRD 13F and 13G will both have spacecraft power of 22 kW and a launch mass of only 4,500 kg. Airbus’ Eurostar Neo platform has been developed in the frame of the European Space Agency’s (ESA) Partnership Projects, together with the French space agency CNES, and strongly supported by the UK Space Agency and other agencies across Europe.