The satellite, located at the 28.2/28.5 degrees East orbital slot, was the 52nd SES satellite launched aboard an Arianespace Ariane 5 rocket in September.

   Astra 2F was built by Astrium using a Eurostar E3000 platform. The multi-mission satellite carries Ku-band and Ka-band payloads for the delivery of high-performance Direct-to-Home (DTH) and next generation broadband services in Europe and Africa. Of the spacecraft’s payload, 48 Ku-band transponders cover Europe and 12 Ku-band transponders are dedicated to sub-Saharan Africa, while 3 Ka-band transponders will allow SES Broadband Services to support download speeds of up to 20 Mbps.

   Astra 2F also is part of a larger fleet replacement and expansion program at its orbital neighborhood that includes Astra 2E, 2F and 2G. Together, the system aims to replace and grow capacity for the United Kingdom and Ireland as well as for other services in and outside of Europe. Astra 2E and Astra 2G are under construction by Astrium and are scheduled for launch in 2013 and 2014 respectively.