Astra’s latest satellite has been safely delivered from Toulouse, France to the Baikonur Cosmodrome in preparation for launch next month, International Launch Services has confirmed.
The six ton geostationary satellite Astra 2G will be placed into orbit by the Proton Breeze M launch vehicle. It will be the 400th launch of the Proton rocket since its maiden flight in 1965.
International Launch Services (ILS) holds the exclusive rights to market the Proton rocket for commercial operators worldwide. Khrunichev manufactures the Proton rocket and is the majority owner of ILS.
Astra 2G will run broadcast, VSAT and broadband services in Europe, Middle East and Africa, and will carry Ku- and Ka-band payloads at the prime dual orbital location of 28.2 / 28.5 degrees East – the prime slot for the UK market. It will also provide the ability to connect West Africa to Europe via Ka-band.
