SES signs up NASA
April 16, 2012
By Chris Forrester
Luxembourg-based satellite operator SES has added the USA’s NASA TV to its roster of distributed channels over the US. The deal, announced today at NAB, comes via Encompass Digital Media which has signed a capacity deal with SES to make the channel available to other satellite broadcasters and cable operators throughout the US.
As part of the multi-year agreement, Encompass is utilising a full transponder of C-band capacity on SES’ AMC-18 satellite (at 105 degrees West) to uplink three full-time NASA TV channels (two in High Definition and one in Standard Definition) to cable systems in all 50 states. Encompass is also relying on SES Occasional Use services and bandwidth to deliver most of NASA TV’s special launch and other event coverage.
“NASA’s space shuttle programme may have landed for now, but NASA continues to advance space exploration virtually every day. Encompass is honored to play an integral role in the daily distribution of NASA TV broadcasts to audiences in every corner of America,” said Jim Schuster, Executive Vice President and President of Encompass Atlanta. “Our capacity deal with SES aboard the AMC-18 satellite ensures that NASA TV will be able to reach viewers in Hawaii and Alaska with a high-quality signal equal to those received on the mainland.”