The SES ASTRA 1P satellite was successfully launched by a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.
ASTRA 1P, which was built by Thales Alenia Space, is based on the 100% electric Spacebus NEO platform and features 80 transponders capable of delivering 500 HD TV channels. It is the most powerful satellite to operate at 19.2 degrees East, seamlessly replacing the current four satellites at the orbital location and continuing their mission of serving 119 million TV households.
The Ku-band satellite will enhance SES’s TV neighbourhood at 19.2 degrees East, delivering content to public and private broadcasters, sports organizations, and content owners across Europe’s largest TV markets. ASTRA 1P will also provide premium HD content to subscribers of HD+, SES’s high-definition satellite TV platform in Germany.
Recent developments at SES
- November 2023: SES successfully launched its fifth and sixth O3b mPOWER satellites. This completion of the six-satellite constellation marks a significant milestone in its second-generation medium Earth orbit (MEO) system, enhancing global high-performance connectivity services (.
- January 2024: SES and Luxembourg-based satellite ground infrastructure provider, RHEA Group, announced a collaboration to develop advanced cybersecurity solutions for satellite communications, enhancing the security of SES’s global network
- February 1, 2024: SES appointed Adel Al-Saleh as its new CEO, effective February 2024, bringing in leadership from his previous role as CEO of T-Systems International GmbH
- April 24, 2024: SES’s O3b mPOWER system began providing high-performance connectivity services. This new system, with its first six satellites in MEO, is designed to offer flexible and low-latency services globally, ranging from tens of Mbps to multiple Gbps
- April 30, 2024: SES announced its plan to acquire Intelsat for $3.1 billion. The acquisition is aimed at expanding SES’s multi-orbit space network and enhancing its competitive position in the market. The deal is expected to close in the second half of 2025
- May 15, 2024: SES and Microsoft announced a partnership to deliver improved cloud and connectivity solutions via Azure Orbital, leveraging SES’s multi-orbit satellite network to provide seamless cloud access in remote and underserved regions
- June 10, 2024: SES signed a contract with the US Department of Defense to provide satellite communication services worth $180 million. This agreement underscores SES’s strategic role in providing reliable and secure communications for defense operations
