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ASTRA 1KR goes operational SES GLOBAL NEWS RELEASE Posted: June 18, 2006 SES ASTRA, an SES GLOBAL company, announces that its new satellite ASTRA 1KR has been deployed at the company's prime orbital 19.2(degree) East and is now operational. The satellite was successfully launched from Cape Canaveral on 20 April onboard an Atlas V rocket and has now completed extensive testings of its hardware and broadcasting functionalities. ASTRA 1KR has 32 active transponders and provides distribution of Direct-to-Home (DTH) broadcast services for SES ASTRA customers across Europe, with an extended reach into Eastern Europe. The new satellite allows SES ASTRA to replace its satellites ASTRA 1B and ASTRA 1C at the same orbital position. ASTRA 1B has reached the end of its life after 15 years of service and will be deorbited within the coming weeks. "We are very pleased that our ASTRA 1KR mission has been completed and that we can welcome a new member in the ASTRA satellite fleet", says Ferdinand Kayser, President and CEO of SES ASTRA. "ASTRA 1KR will further strengthen the ASTRA fleet at our prime orbital position 19.2(degree) East and will allow us to maintain the best possible service and quality for our customers across Europe." Please find an updated presentation of the SES fleet here. The ASTRA Satellite System is the leading Direct-to-Home (DTH) satellite system in Europe, delivering services to some 107 million Direct-to-Home and cable households. The ASTRA satellite fleet currently comprises 13 satellites, transmitting in excess of 1600 analogue and digital television and radio channels as well as multimedia and Internet services. ASTRA's two prime orbital positions for DTH services are 19.2(degree) East and 28.2(degree) East. Professional services such as Direct-to cable (DTC), Satellite Newsgathering (SNG) and Occasional Use are offered from the orbital position of 23.5(degree) East. SES ASTRA is an SES GLOBAL company. SES GLOBAL wholly owns three market-leading satellite operators, SES ASTRA in Europe, SES AMERICOM in the US and New Skies Satellites in regions other than North America and Europe. The Company also holds strategic participations in AsiaSat in Asia, Star One in Latin America, SES Sirius in Europe, Ciel in Canada and Quetzsat in Mexico. Americom Government Services provides network solutions and bandwidth to the US government and its contractors. SES GLOBAL provides outstanding satellite communications solutions via a fleet of 43 satellites across the globe. |
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Tony Ceccacci, the lead shuttle flight director for STS-121, provides a highly informative day-by-day preview of Discovery's mission using animation and other presentations. Then Rick LaBrode, the lead International Space Station flight director during STS-121, explains all of the activities occurring onboard and outside the outpost while Discovery visits.
Dial-up: 
Discovery's STS-121 mission to the International Space Station will feature two scheduled spacewalks and perhaps a third if consumables permit. Spacewalkers Mike Fossum and Piers Sellers will test whether the 50-foot inspection boom carried on the shuttle could be used as a work platform for repairing the heatshield and conduct maintenance chores outside the space station. Tomas Gonzalez-Torres, the mission's lead spacewalk officer, details all the three EVAs in this pre-flight news briefing.
A comprehensive series of press briefings for space shuttle Discovery's upcoming STS-121 begins with a program overview conference by Wayne Hale, NASA's manager of the shuttle program, and Kirk Shireman, the deputy program manager of the International Space Station. The two men discuss the significance of Discovery's mission to their respective programs. The briefing was held June 8 at the Johnson Space Center.