Astra 3B makes successful launch

Astra’s latest satellite has successfully launched at the third attempt.

Astra 3B was launched onboard an Ariane 5 rocket from Kourou, French Guiana, on May 21 at 19:01 local time. It will be brought into its final orbital position “within the next weeks”, according to Astra, and will be made commercially available in June after in-orbit testing. The satellite’s launch was twice postponed due to technical anomalies.

Astra 3B will be located at 23.5° East where it will deliver DTH services to the Benelux and Eastern Europe and serve public and private satellite communication networks across Europe and the Middle East.