Eutelsat, the European communications satellite organisation, has appealed against the International Telecommunication Union's (ITU) decision to stop it operating its planned Europesat 1 spacecraft, to be launched in 2000 at 29¼E in geostationary orbit.
This is just 1.8¼ west of the position which rival Luxembourg company Société Européenne des Satellite uses for some of its Astras. Operating satellites so close to each other can cause interference.
Although Eutelsat had moved a Hot Bird satellite into the intended orbit for testing, the ITU says that this does not constitute the originally intended use of the location and that, in effect, Eutelsat has not used the orbital position nine years after claiming it.
Source: Flight International