Spacebuses are typically used for geostationary communications satellites, and seventy-four have been launched since development started in the 1980s.

Aérospatiale had produced a number of satellites, including Symphonie, with the German company Messerschmitt.

[citation needed] Spacebus satellites use bipropellant, liquid-fuelled chemical engines to achieve orbit and subsequently perform station-keeping.

Electric propulsion was used on the Stentor and Astra 1K satellites, both of which were subsequently involved in launch failures.

[citation needed] Spacebus satellites are compatible with a large number of carrier rockets, particularly the Ariane family.

[5] Three Spacebus 100 satellites were produced for Arabsat to serve the 22 members of the Arab League.

This, combined with gyroscope issues, caused it to spend most of its operational lifespan as a reserve satellite.

[7] Five direct-to-home television satellites were built using the Spacebus 300 bus, which provided 4.3 kilowatts (5.8 hp) of power.

[citation needed] Eight Spacebus 4000B2 satellites have been ordered: Bangabandhu-1 for Bangabandhu-1 of Bangladesh, Turksat 3A for Turksat, Thor 6 for Telenor of Norway, Nilesat 201 for Nilesat of Egypt,[15] Athena-Fidus for the French and Italian space agencies CNES and ASI,[16] and Sicral-2 for the Italian Ministry of Defence and the French Defence Procurement Agency (DGA), a contract worth about €295m in total,[17] Koreasat-5A and Koreasat-7 for KTSAT and Telkom-3S for PT Telkom Indonesia.

[19] The fifth, Palapa D1 for Indosat, uses the ITAR-free configuration, and was launched by a Long March 3B in September 2009, but was initially placed in a low orbit.

[20] Thales Alenia Space made corrections allowing the satellite to reach the planned geostationary transfer orbit on 3 September.

[22] It is now undergoing on-orbit testing upon its arrival at 113° East about mid-September, where it will be used to provide communications to Asia and Australia.

[23][24] The first Rascom satellite, Rascom-QAF1, suffered a propulsion system failure during its first apogee manoeuvre on 21 December 2007.

[14] Eight Spacebus 4000C3 satellites, each of which has a height of 5.1 metres (17 ft) and generates 13 kilowatts of power, have been ordered.

[36] The Spacebus 4000C4 bus is 5.5 metres (18 ft) high and can generate 16 kilowatts of power with its solar panels.

[39] On 6 December 2007, Thales Alenia Space signed an agreement with NPO PM of Russia to jointly develop the Ekspress-4000 bus, based on the Spacebus 4000.

The all-electric Spacebus NEO, capable of carrying payloads weighing over 1,400 kg, and with power exceeding 16 kW, will be available starting in mid-2015.