Advanced Television

Astra

Astra goes private

Spacecraft launch company Astra, which went public in July 2021, is being taken back into private ownership. The company has admitted that the only alternative was to declare bankruptcy. Chris Kemp, CEO, and Adam London, CTO, the joint founders of the business, announced on March 7th that the company would be taken private with existing […]

March 11, 2024By Chris Forrester

SES unveils Astra 1P

A VIP group visited Thales Alenia Space’s satellite manufacturing facility near Cannes, in the south of France, to view SES Astra 1P, its latest satellite and which will be placed at the operator’s prime TV neighbourhood at 19.2 degrees East. The satellite will continue existing transmissions over Europe as well as key markets Germany, France […]

February 9, 2024

Astra Space to go private

A week ago rocket builder Astra Space was fast running out of money. Then a saviour appeared with enough cash to keep the business in compliance with its banking obligations. Now the company has cancelled its Q3 financial report and says it is to be taken private. Various board changes were announced this week including […]

November 10, 2023

Astra Space back in the money

Last week rocket builder Astra Space was under threat of missing its banking obligations. Now it has confirmed that it had secured interim financing (“additional debt financing”) from a pair of investors that gives it breathing space for a few days in which it must find more cash to stay afloat. Astra says that JMCM […]

November 8, 2023

Astra Space defaults on borrowings

US spaceflight company Astra Space, which is developing high-powered rockets, has defaulted on its bank obligations. Astra Space disclosed in an SEC securities filing late on November 3rd that it defaulted on a recent debt agreement and may not be able to raise needed cash. It has reportedly barely $10 million in cash in its […]

November 6, 2023

Telefónica extends SES Astra contract

Spanish telco Telefónica has renewed its contract with satellite company SES Astra until 2030 for €90 million, according to Economia Digital citing comments from Ruy Pinto, the CEO of SES.Initially, the contract was in force until 2027 to give service to around 240,000 Movistar Plus subscribers who get the signal from the satellite (mostly in […]

August 14, 2023From David Del Valle in Madrid

Astra to raise $65m

Struggling rocket developer Astra Space is to conduct a 1-for-15 stock split and in the process raise around $65 million (€58.9m) to continue its work on its Rocket 4 launch vehicle. The 1-for-15 stock split will issue one new share to stockholders in a swap for 15 existing shares. The company’s filing with the SEC […]

July 12, 2023By Chris Forrester

SES wins Indonesia’s TVRI World

TVRI, an Indonesian public broadcaster, in collaboration with PT Telkom Indonesia and its subsidiary Telkomsat, are putting a HD channel, TVRI World, delivered to TV homes via SES’s DTH satellites. The English-language TVRI World channel is now broadcasting across Europe via Astra 19.2 degrees East and the Middle East via YahSat 52.5 degrees East. As […]

July 6, 2023By Chris Forrester

CNN switches Astra transponders

CNN is changing transponders on Astra’s long-established 19.2 degrees East orbital slot. CNN International will end up with two options for viewers and which will depend on their satellite receivers. CNN has moved from transponder 28 (Frequency 11626 Vertical) to a new transmission frequency at 11778 Vertical and which will be in DVB-S2 mode. The […]

February 27, 2023By Chris Forrester

Germany: New High View channels on SES Astra

German music fans can watch a selection of music TV channels as High View, an independent Munich-based media company, and SES have expanded their long-term partnership. Under the new multi-year agreement, High View will be leasing additional satellite capacity on SES’s prime TV neighbourhood at Astra 19.2 degrees East to broadcast four free-to-air SD channels. […]

January 27, 2023