The throwing of the satellite there is foreseen for 2011 in the orbital position of 19,2nd East, which SES exploits Astra.

The satellite, as all his predecessors of the family Astra 1, will be destined to give service preferably to the German, French and Spanish television market.

The Astra 1N will be provided with 55 transpondedores in band Ku and his useful life is estimated in 15 years.

The satellite Astra 1N will be constructed on a platform Eurostar E3000, the most recent series of Astrium Eurostar, that has already demonstrated his high reliability. In this moment there is 11 Eurostar E3000 in orbit and 13 more have been entrusted.

After the Astra 2B, 1M and 3B, the Astra 1N is the fourth satellite of the company with head office in Luxembourg that will be constructed by Astrium.

SES Astra is provided at present with five satellites that produce in 19,2nd East. It is a question of the Astra 1F, 1G, 1H, 1KR 1L. The Astra 1KR and Astra 1L began giving service in last two years, while the Astra 1M is foreseen that lanze to the space in the last trimeste of this year 2008.

With the arrival of the Astra 1N, SES Astra will have 120 transpondedores working to full yield in the orbital position of 19,2nd East. Also, it is foreseen that the satellite Astra 1G leaves this position at the moment when entity in servico the new Astra 1N. The target is that the Astra 1G could be re-used in other orbital positions.


(SatCesc, 16/07/08)