SES ASTRA has chosen the Swedish Space Corporation to control their telecommunication satellite ASTRA 5A, formerly known as SIRIUS 2 and operated by SES SIRIUS at the 5 degrees east orbital position. The satellite has recently been handed over to SES ASTRA and moved to 31.5 degrees east where it serves audiences in Eastern Europe and Middle East with DTH services.
Since 1986, SSC has successfully operated six in-house manufactured scientific polar satellites as well as five SES-Sirius geostationary satellites. The operations services are performed from Esrange Space Center in northern Sweden, which is manned 24/7.
SSC's operators have extensive experience in controlling various platforms and can quickly address changing operational needs. For customers who wish to minimise investment in infrastructure, equipment and personnel through outsourcing operations of their satellites, a cost-efficient, multi-mission approach has been applied to the development and organisation of ground control from the Esrange Space Center facility or through manning customer control centers in different locations world-wide.
"We have been working with SES ASTRA since 2000 and this is the first time they contract us to take full control of one of their satellite," says Raimo Pesamaa, manager Satellite Control Service, SSC. "We are very proud that they have chosen us for such an important mission, as this task is well in line with our ambition to be a first choice partner for outsourced satellite operations services."
