TAMPA, Fla. – SpaceX efficiently launched Astra 1P for Luxembourg-based fleet operator SES on June 20 towards geostationary orbit, the place it’s scheduled to ultimately change 4 getting older broadcast satellites over Europe.
The Falcon 9 lifted off at 5:35 p.m. east from Cape Canaveral Area Drive Station in Florida after being delayed twice each day as a result of unhealthy climate.
The Astra 1P was positioned into geostationary switch orbit about 35 minutes later, shortly after the rocket’s first stage efficiently landed on a drone ship within the Atlantic Ocean for reuse.
SES was the primary business satellite tv for pc operator to launch with SpaceX in 2013, and in 2017 the corporate additionally turned the primary to make use of a pre-launched booster.
SpaceX’s booster landings have since change into routine and this mission marked the 320th time the corporate has landed an orbital rocket.
The booster that lifted Astra 1P has beforehand been launched eight instances, together with 4 missions for SpaceX’s Starlink broadband constellation.
An extended journey forward of us
Astra 1P, constructed by European agency Thales Alenia Area, is scheduled to spend a lot of this yr utilizing onboard electrical propulsion to achieve its orbital place at 19.2 levels east, the place it’s scheduled to finish well being checks in time to start companies in January.
SES at the moment offers tv companies to roughly 119 million households from 4 satellites on this orbital slot, largely in Germany, Spain and France.
The Ku-band capability of Astra 1P shall be ample to switch all 4 of those spacecraft as soon as they’re retired, in keeping with SES CEO Adel Al-Saleh.
A geostationary communications satellite tv for pc is often designed with sufficient gas to final about 15 years in orbit. The oldest SES satellite tv for pc working at 19.2°E, Astra 1KR, was launched in April 2006.
SES ordered the Ku-band Astra 1Q satellite tv for pc from Thales Alenia Area concurrently the Astra 1P in 2021 and for a similar orbital location.
However whereas Astra 1P is a basic wide-beam satellite tv for pc, Astra 1Q is software-limited so it may be reprogrammed to offer communications missions if wanted after a scheduled launch in 2026.
With the satellite tv for pc TV market step by step shedding floor to on-line streaming companies, SES and different conventional broadcast operators are pivoting their enterprise in direction of broadband companies to satisfy the rising knowledge demand.
SES introduced $3.1 billion plans in March to purchase rival satellite tv for pc operator Intelsat to spice up communications companies amid rising competitors from Starlink.
The Luxembourg telecommunications firm stated on June 19 that it had acquired a sum of three billion euros ($3.2 billion). Debt package to support the deal.
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