The Astra 1N satellite has arrived at the European space Center in Kourou, French Guiana, in preparation for its launch by an Ariane 5 vehicle in early July 2011.
Astra 1N, designed and manufactured by Astrium for SES, will deliver DTH services, notably SD and HD television with pan-European coverage, and is planned to mainly serve the German, French and Spanish markets. The satellite will first provide interim capacity at 28.2 degrees East and will subsequently be moved to 19.2 degrees East, its final orbital position.
As prime contractor for Astra 1N, Astrium has supplied both the payload and the Eurostar E3000 platform for this satellite equipped with 62 transponders in the Ku frequency band. Astra 1N will have a launch mass of 5,350 kg and a spacecraft power of 13 kW at the end of its 15-year design life. Launch and Early Orbit Phase operations will be conducted from the Astrium spacecraft control centre in Toulouse, France.
Astra 1N will be the fourth Eurostar satellite in the ASTRA fleet following the successful launch of Astra 3B in May 2010. Astrium’s Eurostar series has accumulated nearly 400 years of successful in-orbit operations.
Astrium is currently in the process of designing and manufacturing five more satellites for SES based on its Eurostar E3000 platform: Astra 2E, Astra 2F, Astra 2G and Astra 5B are all scheduled for launch between 2012 and 2014.
