The Air Force Space Command News Service reported that an Atlas V rocket successfully launched the ASTRA 1KR satellite from Space Launch Complex 41 at the Cape Canaveral Air Force station on April 20.
ASTRA 1KR will be located at 19.2 degrees east longitude and will provide broadcast services, including HDTV, to continental Europe. Ferdinand Kayser, president and CEO of SES Astra, said, "We are very proud and satisfied that the ASTRA 1KR mission has been a success. ASTRA 1KR will benefit our customers, strengthen our unique inter-satellite back-up scheme and provide replacement capacity for our ASTRA 1B and ASTRA 1C satellites."
Kayser also said the ASTRA 1KR mission success was a milestone in the company's history and was an indication of the strengthened cooperation with launch partners Lockheed Martin Commercial Space Systems and International Launch Services.
The ASTRA 1KR launch was the 100th launch for International Launch Services.
Additional information may be found on ASTRA's Web site.
