Since the beginning of May it was already known that the life of satellite television would depend on the arrival or not of the new Astra satellite. And one of the points that may attract the most attention is that we have had the help of Elon Musk’s company, SpaceX. Luckily, the launch has been a success after some initial problems and it is now in space.
A few years ago, SES Astra, responsible for commercially operating satellites, commissioned the manufacture of two new models. One of them was ready to be sent to space this very 2024, and this task has finally been successfully carried out. A new satellite that will be of great help to several operators and companies that have television services through this channel, as is the clear example of Movistar Plus+.
ASTRA 1P is successfully launched
In May, it was already known that Movistar satellite television could extend its life with the arrival of this new Astra satellite, specifically, the Astra 1P. This is a new satellite that has been successfully launched into space with the help of SpaceX. And its main objective is to operate in the orbital position of 19.2º East.
As planned, it was successfully launched by the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. In this way, it will be possible to guarantee satellite television service for a large part of users. In addition, it will also guarantee that the content can be viewed in HD, on different platforms such as HD+ in Germany. Or, for example, it will also cover the needs of other European countries such as France. And, of course, the current services that other satellites of this company provide to Movistar Plus+ will be transferred directly to Astra 1P.
It will not only serve to improve image quality, but also performance. Therefore, this launch was one of the key points for the Movistar Plus+ satellite television service to remain operational for several years.
This Astra satellite is based on the 100% electric Spacebus NEO platform. However, most important of all is that it has 80 transponders that are capable of offering up to 500 high definition television channels. Therefore, it becomes the most powerful option that operates at 19.2º East and, above all, it is the perfect replacement for the four satellites that operate right now in this orbital location. In this way, it will be possible to continue providing service to up to 119 million homes that watch satellite television in different parts of the world.
Next satellite, Astra 1Q
The latter is responsible for extending the life of different satellite television services, such as the example of Movistar Plus+ in Spain. However, it is not the only one that is planned to continue this type of television. For 2026, the truth is that the launch into space of the Astra 1Q is planned. In this way, the SES Astra company will be in charge of guaranteeing good service to millions of users.
