SES TO PROCURE 12TH AND 13TH ASTRA SATELLITES TO MEET GROWING DEMAND AT 28.2° EAST ASTRA 2C and ASTRA 2D under final negotiations with Hughes Space and Communications

To meet the growing demand for digital satellite services the Board of Directors of Société Européenne des Satellites (SES) has decided to proceed with the procurement of two additional ASTRA spacecraft. Final negotiations with Hughes Space and Communications (HSC) of El Segundo, California, are expected to be concluded soon. The satellites, to be named ASTRA 2C and ASTRA 2D, are scheduled for launch in the first half of 2001 and at the end of the year 2000 respectively. Whereas ASTRA 2C is slated within the framework of SES' dual launch policy for a Russian Proton or a European Ariane launch, ASTRA 2D will be lofted into space by an Ariane 4 or 5 booster.

ASTRA 2C

ASTRA 2C will be positioned at SES' second orbital position of 28.2° East. The 3 axes stabilized spacecraft will be based on long-lead items SES has previously contracted with HSC, enabling a launch as early as the first half of 2001. The satellite will cover the FSS frequency range of 10.70 - 11.20 GHz, i.e. 500 MHz of additional spectrum made available to SES at 28.2° East within the framework of the Intersystem Coordination Agreement with Eutelsat (see SES press release dated June 8th, 1999). ASTRA 2C is also designed to operate on 24 transponders in the BSS frequency range 11,7 - 12,2 GHz.

An HS 601 HP (HP = High Power) spacecraft, ASTRA 2C will have a design life of 15 years and feature 28 transponders (32 for the first five years) offering pan-European coverage. Due to its coverage area as well as its flexibility with regard to the combination of uplink and downlink frequencies, ASTRA 2C is also compatible with operations at 19.2° East and thereby complements SES' comprehensive intersatellite protection scheme at both orbital locations.

ASTRA 2D

In order to guarantee the timely availability of additional transmission capacity for the thriving digital satellite market in UK/Eire, SES will also commission ASTRA 2D. ASTRA 2D is an HS 376 HP Spinner spacecraft featuring 15 transponders (16 at the beginning of life) offering coverage of the UK and Eire. It will operate in the FSS frequency range of 10.70 - 10.95 GHz and have a design lifetime of 12 years. ASTRA 2D is scheduled to launch onboard an Ariane booster before the end 2000 and will be co-positioned at 28.2° East with ASTRA 2A and ASTRA 2B prior to ASTRA 2C. The spacecraft will also offer additional protection against potential launch or in-orbit failures across the ASTRA system. Because of their flexibility in repointing the antenna, HS 376 Spinner spacecraft furthermore allow for potential operations at different orbital slots for markets in- and outside of Europe.

Explains Romain Bausch, Director General and Chairman of the Management Committee of SES: "By procuring a 12th and 13th spacecraft for the ASTRA fleet, SES will provide our customers with substantial, uniquely protected in-orbit capacity, in the shortest possible time frame, to meet the growing demand for digital satellite services - be it TV, radio, multimedia or Internet applications. In addition to the 120 existing transponders at 19.2° East, the ASTRA Satellite System will offer at 28.2° East 68 transponders for pan-European coverage as well as 16 transponders for operations outside of Europe".

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About SES/ASTRA

Société Européenne des Satellites S.A. (SES) is the operator of ASTRA, Europe's leading direct-to-home Satellite System. ASTRA currently transmits on 152 transponders (120 at 19.2° East and 32 at 28.2° East) in analogue and digital more than 700 different television and radio channels as well as multimedia and Internet services to an audience of 75 million homes in Europe.

The company to date operates 9 active satellites (ASTRA 1A - 1H at 19.2° East; ASTRA 2A at 28.2° East). ASTRA 2B and ASTRA 1K are currently under construction with Matra Marconi Space and Alcatel Space respectively and are due for launch in 1999 and 2001. ASTRA 2C and ASTRA 2D, under final negotiations with Hughes Space and Communications, will be the 12th and 13th spacecraft in the ASTRA fleet.

SES is also a major shareholder in ASIASAT (34.13% since January 15th, 1999), the prime Asian satellite operator providing broadcast and telecommunications services to 53 countries in the Asian/Pacific region. The combined footprints of ASTRA and ASIASAT cover three quarters of the world's population.

SES is listed on the Luxembourg Stock Exchange under the form of Fiduciary Depositary Receipts (symbol: SES) and on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange (symbol: SDSL).