The world’s largest communications satellite is on its way from manufacturer Alcatel Space to Russia’s main launch base, at Baikonur,Kazakhstan
The Astra 1K communications satellite left
Alcatel Space’s Cannes plant during the night of October 24-25 for shipment
to the Baikonur launch base in Kazakhstan. It was built for European
operator SES ASTRA, a subsidiary of SES GLOBAL. The launch is scheduled for
end of November, on a Proton rocket.
Astra 1K is not only the largest satellite ever built by Alcatel Space, but
also the largest civil communications satellite in the world. It will be
performing three very demanding missions for SES ASTRA. Because of its huge
size, Astra 1K will replace three Astra satellites now in orbit, and will
also be an in-orbit spare for four others. At the same time, this satellite
provides multi-mission flexibility, including Ku-band frequency reuse, and
Ka-band multimedia services. It offers pan-European coverage, extending
from Spain and Portugal to the rest of continental Europe.
Based on the Spacebus 4000 platform, Astra 1K is equipped with 52 Ku-band
and 2 Ka-band transponders, and will be positioned at 19.2 degrees East. It
sets a number of records for a civil communications satellite: 5,250
kilograms at liftoff; 13 kW end-of-life power; total span 37 meters; height
6.6 meters; 10 different antenna reflectors. In short, Astra 1K is a
powerful, versatile and highly reliable spacecraft, featuring highly
accurate pointing and a long lifespan.
Astra 1K reflects Alcatel Space’s leadership in innovative onboard
technologies:
– significant increase in platform size;
– plasma propulsion;
– ultra-light reflectors with dual deployment;
– 6-panel solar array delivering 13 kW of power at end-of-life.
It is the first satellite delivered by Alcatel Space to SES ASTRA. Other
satellites are being built by Alcatel Space as prime contractor for SES
GLOBAL :
– 3 under construction (AMC 9, AMC 12, AMC 13)
– 1 under study for the Asia-Pacific region (AMC 23).
About Alcatel Space
Alcatel Space is n°3 in the world and Europe’s leading satellite
manufacturer. Leveraging its dual expertise in civil and military
applications, Alcatel Space develops satellite technology solutions for
telecommunications, navigation, optical and radar observation, meteorology,
and scientific applications. The company is also Europe’s number one prime
contractor for Earth observation, meteorology and navigation ground
segments, as well as space systems operations. A fully-owned subsidiary of
Alcatel (100%), Alcatel Space generated 2001 revenues of 1.4 billion Euros.
About Alcatel
Alcatel (Paris : CGEP.PA and NYSE : ALA) designs, develops and builds
innovative and competitive communications networks, enabling carriers,
service providers and enterprises to deliver any type of content, such as
voice, data and multimedia, to any type of consumer, anywhere in the world.
Relying on its leading and comprehensive products and solutions portfolio,
stretching from end-to-end optical infrastructures, fixed and mobile
networks to broadband access, Alcatel’s customers can focus on optimizing
their service offerings and revenue streams. With sales of EURO 25 billion
in 2001, Alcatel operates in more than 130 countries.
