SES has announced that its Astra 1P satellite is fully operational at the 19.2° East orbital position. Following successful in-orbit testing, Astra 1P is now serving broadcasters, sports organizations, and content owners across Europe.
Equipped with 80 transponders, this high-capacity satellite supports hundreds of HD TV channels, significantly expanding coverage in key European markets. “With Astra 1P now fully operational, we are setting a new standard for satellite broadcasting in Europe,” said Milton Torres, CTO of SES. “This new offering will enhance our ability to deliver premium content with superior reliability and image quality to 118 million TV households. This includes sports and events content, where we are seeing growing demand from viewers, as well as sports leagues, teams, federations and rights holders.”
Built by Thales Alenia Space and launched by SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket on June 20, 2024, from Cape Canaveral, Florida, Astra 1P represents a major investment in satellite technology. The next generation satellite, Astra 1Q, is scheduled for launch in 2027, and together, Astra 1P and Astra 1Q will replace existing satellites at 19.2° East by 2028, ensuring continued high-quality content delivery to direct-to-home (DTH) satellite households and cable headends across Europe.