Astra

In 1985, the Société Europíenne des Satellites (SES) was created to provide medium power TV coverage to Europe. This privately held company established the Astra communications satellite network under a franchise from the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. This network, now consisting of 4 satellites, began providing Europe's first private broadcasting service on February 5, 1989, and was reaching more than 21 million homes by early 1991 via cable, SMATV and 1.85 million DTH private dishes. The first 2 satellites in the series, Astra 1A and Astra 1B, are the primary elements of the system, with Astra 1C and Astra 1D acting as on-orbit spares.

Related QuickLook Pages:

• Astra 1A
• Astra 1B
• Astra 1C
• Astra 1D

Launch Facts

Name	Int'l Desig.	Date	Site	Vehicle	Orbit	Mass(kg)
Notes
Astra 1A	1988-109B	12/11/88	Kourou	Ariane 44LP	GEO	1780
European TV broadcast; 19.2 deg W
Astra 1B	1991-015A	3/2/91	Kourou	Ariane 44LP	GEO	2620
19.2 deg E; European coverage
Astra 1C	1993-031A	5/12/93	Kourou	Ariane 42L	GEO	2790
1.2 deg E
Astra 1D	1994-070A	11/1/94	Kourou	Ariane 42P	GEO	2924
European DBS and radio; 19.2 deg E
Astra 1E	1995-055A	10/19/95	Kourou	Ariane 42L	GEO	2700
Western Europe digital TV; 18 Ku-band transponders; 19.2 deg E
Astra 1F	1996-021A	4/4/96	Tyuratam	SL-13	GEO	3010
19.2 deg E