ASTRA 1K UNDER PROCUREMENT WITH AÉROSPATIALE Eleventh ASTRA satellite to provide back-up, geographical expansion and increased transmission capacity through frequency re-use Second ASTRA Ka-band payload to enhance ARCS (ASTRA Return Channel System)

Following an international request for proposals, Société Européenne des Satellites (SES) has selected Aérospatiale of France as the supplier of its ASTRA 1K spacecraft.

ASTRA 1K, the eleventh satellite in the ASTRA series, will be deployed at the orbital position of 19.2° East by the end of the year 2000. The spacecraft is specified for three distinct missions:
First, to provide full replacement capacity for ASTRA 1B, plus back-up capacity for the ASTRA A-, C- and D-bands.
Second, to allow for additional transmission capacity and for geographical expansion of the ASTRA coverage area towards Central and Eastern Europe, including the European part of the CIS. This will be achieved through the geographic re-use of Ku-band frequencies.
Third, to carry additional Ka-Band capacity not only providing full back-up for the ASTRA 1H Ka-band payload, but also enhancing ARCS through flexible bandwidth allocation and extended geographical coverage.

ASTRA 1K is an Aérospatiale Spacebus 3000B3S satellite with a Ku-band repeater manufactured by Alcatel. This very versatile satellite will be equipped with 9 antenna reflectors, notably allowing for frequency re-use. It will feature 52 high-power Ku-band transponders for the first five years of operation (46 transponders at end of life) as well as a 2 transponder Ka-Band payload. The Ku-Band transponders will be powered by 105 Watt TWTA's (Travelling Wave Tube Amplifiers) and the Ka-band payload by 66 Watt TWTA's. All transponders will be fully eclipse-protected. The spacecraft will be capable of generating 13 kWatt of electrical power and will weigh, depending on the launch vehicle, between 4.5 and five tonnes. SES' contract with Aérospatiale calls for the satellite to be compatible both with the Ariane and Proton launch vehicles. The spacecraft is designed for 13-year lifetime using chemical propulsion only; if SES opts to fly with a proposed new electric propulsion system, using a Xenon plasma ionic generator, a 16 year lifetime can be achieved.

"Aérospatiale is delighted to have SES as a new customer", says Michel Delaye, Corporate Executive Vice-President of Aérospatiale. "We are particularly proud of the fact, that with ASTRA 1K, we are building the biggest commercial communications satellite in the world. ASTRA 1K will by far outperform the technical capabilities of competing satellites for DTH-reception and open new horizons in the field of satellite-based multimedia applications."

Comments Romain Bausch, Director General of SES: "ASTRA 1K will be the most powerful and capable satellite in the ASTRA constellation to date, accommodating three distinct missions and offering considerable potential for new business. SES has selected Aérospatiale for the construction of ASTRA 1K because of both the technical performance of the proposed spacecraft and the competitiveness of the commercial offer. SES is looking forward to fruitful collaboration between two of the key players in the European space industry."

Mission 1: replacement and back-up

ASTRA 1K will provide full switching capability for at least 46 out of 64 FSS frequency bands (i.e. 10.70 - 11.70 GHz) on a pan-European coverage. In this configuration, ASTRA 1K can, for example, provide full replacement for up to three ASTRA satellites in the low Ku-band. This mission will allow broadcasters to continue existing analogue services well into the next millennium.

Mission 2: geographical expansion through frequency re-use

ASTRA 1K will provide Ku frequency re-use on two beams: one beam covering the UK and Ireland, the other beam covering Continental Europe, including Central and Eastern Europe as well as the European part of the CIS. Each beam will be able to support up to 24 transponders simultaneously. Customized transmission capacity for broadcasters targeting new markets in Eastern Europe and parts of the CIS will be available at Europe's most attractive orbital slot. Taking full advantage of the frequency re-use capabilities of the ASTRA 1K spacecraft, the overall transmission capacity at 19.2° East will increase from the current 120 transponders up to 144.

Mission 3: Ka-band to enhance ARCS (ASTRA Return Channel System)

Following ASTRA 1H, ASTRA 1K will feature SES’ second Ka-band payload for asymmetric, two-way satellite communications. As well as providing back-up capacity for the ASTRA 1H Ka-band payload, ASTRA 1K will also provide for a geographical extension of ARCS in line with the Central/Eastern European and European CIS coverage of the spacecraft in Ku-band. Furthermore, a flexible bandwidth allocation among the uplink beams will allow for variable bandwidth allocation to each beam in order to meet changing communications traffic demands.

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