ESA’s Olympus satellite was the largest civil communications satellite, which demonstrated new market applications using state-of-the-art payloads and a new-generation satellite platform. It also helped to establish the requirements for future Data Relay Satellites. Launched from Kourou in July 1989, it achieved most of its objectives before control was lost for a second time in 1993. With the remaining propellant almost exhausted it was lowered from geostationary orbit and deactivated.

The Orbital Test Satellite was ESA’s first communications satellite programme and the first European 3-axis Ku-band satellite. Its success led to the development of the ECS and Marecs satellites and the creation of the European Telecommunications Satellite Organisation (Eutelsat). Despite a bad start, (with the loss of OTS-1 in an explosion after launch in 1977) OTS-2, successfully launched in 1978, more than doubled its target operational life and was used by Eutelsat until the end of 1983. It was deactivated in 1991.