Astra 1P prepares for liftoff
JUNE 18, 2024 13.32 EUROPE/LONDON BY JULIAN CLOVER


SES’ new Astra 1P satellite is scheduled to lift off from Cape Canaveral, Florida later today.

Astra 1P will ultimately be positioned at the satellite operator’s prime European orbital slot at 19.2 degrees East. As with Astra 1Q, the satellite has been built by Thales Alenia Space and will replace the current fleet at 19° East broadcasting to 119 million TV households across Europe in markets including Germany, Spain, and France.

Launch company SpaceX is opening a two-hour and 49-minute launch window at 17.35 ET/23.35 for a Falcon 9 launch from Space Launch Complex 40.

This mission marks the ninth flight of the first-stage booster, which has previously launched Ax-2, Euclid, Ax-3, CRS-30, and four Starlink missions.