Satellite fleet operator SES of Luxembourg announced Oct. 24 that its Astra 1N television broadcasting satellite, which was launched in August aboard a European Ariane 5 rocket, has begun commercial service at its 28.2 degrees east longitude orbital position.
Astra 1N, built by Europe’s Astrium Satellites based on that company’s Eurostar E3000 platform, is equipped with 52 transponders operating in the Ku-band. The spacecraft weighed 5,325 kilograms at launch and is the fourth Eurostar platform in SES’s fleet, which consists of 49 satellites, the satellite operator said in a press release.
From its orbital slot, which covers Europe, Astra 1N is transmitting television programming as well as supporting SES’s Astra2Connect satellite-based broadband service. SES also offers the Astra2Connect service from its 23.5 degrees east orbital slot, SES said.
