SES ASTRA (Paris:SESG) (LuxX:SESG), an SES company, announced today that it will be moving the ASTRA 2C satellite from its current orbital position at 28.2 degrees East to 31.5 degrees East to take over the mission of ASTRA 5A which is no longer in service.
ASTRA 2C will be moved to 31.5 degrees East in April 2009 and will remain there for approximately one year. In the meantime, the services transmitted via 28.2 degrees East will continue to be broadcast from the other satellites co-located at this orbital position. ASTRA 2C will be able to operate 24 BSS transponders at 31.5 degrees East, thereby continuing the commercialization of this orbital position.
Following the launch of ASTRA 3B in the fourth quarter of 2009 and its subsequent deployment, another in-orbit satellite will be moved to 31.5 degrees East, permitting the return of ASTRA 2C to 28.2 degrees East and to enhance capacity at this orbital position.
Ferdinand Kayser, President and CEO of SES ASTRA, said: “The move of ASTRA 2C demonstrates our strong commitment to develop 31.5 degrees East into an important position, especially for Central and Eastern Europe. At the same time our fleet flexibility allows us to redeploy ASTRA 2C at 28.2 degrees East after the launch of Astra 3B in order to serve the growth in the UK market, particularly coming from High Definition (HD) broadcast services.”
About SES ASTRA
SES ASTRA is the leading Direct-to-Home (DTH) satellite system in Europe. The satellite fleet currently comprises 14 ASTRA and two SIRIUS satellites. The combined satellite system delivers services to more than 117 million DTH and cable households and transmits nearly 2,500 analogue and digital television and radio channels. SES ASTRA also provides satellite-based multimedia, internet and telecommunication services to enterprises, governments and their agencies. With nearly 70 High Definition (HD) channels on its main orbital positions, ASTRA and SIRIUS represent the most important HDTV platform for Europe’s leading broadcasters. The prime orbital positions for ASTRA and SIRIUS are 19.2* East, 28.2* East, 23.5* East, 5* East and 31.5* East.
SES ASTRA is an SES company (Euronext Paris and Luxembourg Stock Exchange: SESG). SES owns three market-leading satellite operators, SES ASTRA in Europe, SES AMERICOM in North America, and SES NEW SKIES which provides global coverage and connectivity. The company owns 90 percent of SES SIRIUS in Europe, as well as strategic participations in Ciel in Canada and QuetzSat in Mexico. SES provides outstanding satellite communications solutions via a fleet of 39 satellites in 26 orbital positions around the globe. Additional information on SES is available at: www.ses.com
