[10-23-07 – Satellite Today] SES Astra has moved its satellite Astra 1E from the orbital position 19.2° East to 23.5° East to replace the satellite Astra 1D which is approaching the end of its design life, the company said Oct. 23. SES Astra is building 23.5° East into a new prime orbital slot for direct-to-home reception, focusing specifically on the Benelux and central and eastern European markets. SES Astra’s initiative in the broadband arena, Astra2Connect will also be transmitted from 23.5° East, and SES Astra expects to develop this still further.

At its new position, Astra 1E joins Astra 3A and will become operational by the end of this month. The move of Astra 1E was made possible by the successful launch of Astra 1L, which started its services at 19.2° East in July. To further enhance the 23.5° East position, another new satellite, Astra 3B, is scheduled to be launched by the end of 2009, adding 19 transponders to the 37 transponders available on Astra 3A and Astra 1E at this orbital position today.