SES ASTRA, a SES GLOBAL company, has awarded the contract for the construction of its new satellite, ASTRA 3B, to the European satellite manufacturer ASTRIUM, a subsidiary of EADS. It is the third ASTRA satellite to be built by the company and as prime contractor it will design and build the satellite, which is to be launched at the end of 2009.

ASTRA 3B will be a state-of-the-art Ku- and Ka-band spacecraft designed for the distribution of both direct-to-home broadcast services and two-way broadband services across Europe. The satellite will have 52 transponders, of which 20 are to replace existing in-orbit capacity and 32 that will create new capacity. “We are very pleased to work with the ASTRIUM team for the third time”, said Ferdinand Kayser, president and CEO of SES ASTRA. “Together with ASTRIUM, we look forward to developing this new generation of satellites, thus increasing our satellite fleet for the benefits of our customers.”

Antoine Bouvier, CEO of ASTRIUM Satellites, said, “We are extremely pleased that SES ASTRA, which values our know-how and technology, has reaffirmed its confidence with this latest order. This latest success further reinforces our reputation as a space industry leader for the largest operators.”