SpaceX Launches Astra Satellite 1P For European Television Broadcast Service

SpaceX launches Astra 1P with Falcon 9 (photo: dock. SpaceX)

JAKARTA SpaceX successfully launched Astra 1P, a communications satellite for European television broadcast service, on Friday, June 21 at 4.35 WIB. The satellite belonging to the telecommunications company SES is already in orbit. Initially, SpaceX planned to launch the Astra 1P satellite on June 19, but this plan was canceled due to weather problems. After being pushed back to two days, this television satellite was successfully delivered from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida. About 35 minutes after launch, Astra 1P was placed in a geostationary transfer orbit (GTO). The satellite built by Thales Alenia Space will replace four communications satellites that already have to be retired. After launching Astra 1P into space, the first stage of Falcon 9 successfully landed on the SpaceX drone ship in the Atlantic Ocean. This is a special launch and landing ks-nine of the booster that supports this mission. The SES is a satellite-based television service provider used by 119 million households. Services utilizing these four satellites are widely used in Germany, Spain, France, and other countries in Europe.

CEO of SES Adel Al-Saleh, citing Spacenews, said that the Astra 1P satellite with the capacity of the Ku-band launched was able to replace four retired satellites. The satellite is also designed to last for 15 years. In 2026, the SES will launch the Astra 1Q satellite which was also ordered from Thales Alenia Space. This satellite can be re-programmed to provide connectivity missions if the company needs it.