Astra 3B

Astra 3B is one of the Astra communications satellites owned and operated by SES, launched in 2010 to the Astra 23.5°E orbital slot providing digital television and radio for direct-to-home (DTH), and two-way satellite broadband services across Europe and the Middle East.

The satellite provides three broadcast beams, of horizontal and vertical polarisation that cover three areas of the Earth’s surface. The Pan-European Wide beam provides DTH reception on 60 cm dishes across Europe from Spain to the Black Sea and from Greece to Scandinavia. The European spot beam (for central and eastern Europe) and the Middle East spot beam (the Arabian Peninsula, Iran and Iraq) provide for contribution and distribution services, and data and IP trunking services between the two regions with K_a band uplink and downlink used in Europe and K_u band in the Middle East.

Astra 3B was finally launched in May 2010 after nearly two months delay caused by technical problems to the main stage pressurization system of the Ariane 5 rocket, including two on-the-launch-pad postponements on March 24, 2010 and April 9.