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Eutelsat’s 70B satellite delivered into orbit
MUMBAI: Eutelsat Communications has said its Eutelsat 70B satellite has been successfully delivered into orbit by a Zenit-3SL rocket operated by Sea Launch AG from the ocean-based Odyssey Launch Platform in international waters of the Pacific Ocean.
Lift-off of the rocket carrying the 5.2 tonne satellite took place on 3 December at 20.44 GMT/UTC, the company said.
After a 1-hour 6-minute flight, the Zenit-3SL booster released Eutelsat 70B into geosynchronous transfer orbit. Partial deployment of the solar array was carried out successfully approximately two hours after spacecraft separation, it added.
Following early orbit operations managed by Eutelsat and Astrium engineers and which include circularising the satellite‘s orbit, fully extending the solar arrays and deploying the antennas, Eutelsat 70B will undergo a full series of in-orbit tests.
The latest satellite to Eutelsat‘s fleet is expected to enter full commercial service in mid-January 2013.
Commenting after launch and the first manoeuvres, Eutelsat CEO, Michel de Rosen said: “We are delighted to announce that Eutelsat 70B is on its way to 70.5 degrees East and thank Sea Launch, Energia Logistics and RSC Energia for this flawless launch. With a footprint connecting Europe, Africa, Asia and Australia, Eutelsat 70B will be a powerful asset to our in-orbit resources. Its reach into Asia will also be a strong complement to the Eutelsat 172A satellite integrated into our fleet in September following the acquisition of this satellite from GE Capital.”
Built for Eutelsat by Astrium using its E3000 platform, Eutelsat 70B is designed to optimise resources from the 70.5° East orbital slot. With high frequency reuse, four powerful regional beams connected to 48 Ku-band transponders are located on a single platform, more than doubling current capacity at 70.5° East for data and government services, broadband access, GSM backhauling and professional video exchanges.
Eutelsat 70B will replace the Eutelsat 70A satellite which will subsequently be redeployed to another location for continued commercial service.
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With 57 per cent single new users, Ashley Madison rebrands as discreet dating platform
Platform says majority of new members now identify as single
INDIA: Ashley Madison is shedding the “married-dating” label that defined it for two decades, repositioning itself as a platform for discreet dating in what it calls the post-social media age.
The rebrand, unveiled in India on 27 February, 2026, marks a structural shift in business model and identity. Once synonymous with married dating, the company now describes itself as the “premier destination for discreet dating” under a new tagline: Where Desire Meets Discretion.
The pivot is data-driven. Internal figures show that 57 per cent of global sign-ups between 1 January and 31 December, 2025 identified as single: a notable departure from the platform’s married core. The company argues that its community has already evolved beyond its original positioning.
“In an age where our lives have been constantly put on public display, privacy has become the new luxury,” said Ashley Madison chief strategy officer Paul Keable. He framed the platform’s offering as “ethical discretion” for singles, separated, divorced and non-monogamous users seeking private connections.
The shift also taps into wider digital fatigue. A global survey conducted by YouGov for Ashley Madison, covering 13,071 adults across Australia, Brazil, Canada, Germany, India, Italy, Mexico, Spain, Switzerland, the UK and the US, found mounting discomfort with hyper-public online lives.
Among dating app users, 30 per cent cited constant swiping and messaging as a source of fatigue, while 24 per cent pointed to pressure to curate public-facing profiles and early personal disclosure. Some 27 per cent said fears of screenshots or information being shared contributed to exhaustion; an equal share cited unwanted attention.
The retreat from oversharing appears broader. According to the survey, 46 per cent of adults actively try to keep most aspects of their life private online. Only 8 per cent feel comfortable sharing most aspects publicly, while 35 per cent say they are becoming more selective about what they disclose.
Ashley Madison is betting that this cultural recalibration towards controlled visibility can be monetised. By doubling down on privacy infrastructure and reframing itself around discretion rather than infidelity, the company is attempting to convert reputational baggage into a premium proposition.
