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ASTRA 1L Satellite Ready for Launch


    SES ASTRA, an SES company (Paris:SESG) (LuxX:SESG), announced
    today that its new satellite ASTRA 1L is ready for launch on May 3 at
    the Kourou Space Center in French Guiana. ASTRA 1L has been fully
    integrated into the fairing of the launch vehicle, an Ariane 5 ECA
    rocket. The satellite is an A2100 AX type built by Lockheed Martin
    Commercial Space Systems.

    ASTRA 1L will be located at 19.2(degree) East, ASTRA's prime
    orbital position for delivering broadcast services to continental
    Europe, where it will also transmit the increasing number of HDTV
    channels. The new satellite will allow SES ASTRA to move its satellite
    ASTRA 2C from 19.2(degree) East to 28.2(degree) East, in order to meet
    the high demand for capacity from the U.K. and Irish markets. It will
    also extend the ASTRA coverage from the Canary Islands in the West to
    the Russian border in the East and further strengthen SES ASTRA`s
    unique in-orbit back-up scheme.

    Practical information for media

    The launch of ASTRA 1L is scheduled for the time window between
    0h29 and 1h13 a.m. Central European Time (CET) on 4 May (19h29 and
    20h13 local Kourou time on 3 May). The launch will be transmitted life
    on www.ses-astra.com and www.arianespace.com. The transmission starts
    15 minutes prior to launch.

    The launch will also be transmitted via ASTRA satellite from the
    orbital position 19.2(degree) East, downlink frequency: 12.5515 GHz,
    vertical polarisation, service ID 12122, service name ASTRA Vision 2.
    TV stations can also pick up the signal from Arianespace. Requests
    must be posted until 2 May, 4 pm. CET. Please see the details on
    www.arianespace.com.

    Photos of the launch will be available on 2 May, 6 p.m. CET
    (preview) and 4 May, 7 a.m. CET (launch) via AFP, Reuters, EPA, AP,
    Service de Presse Kyodo, in Europe via AFP, ANP, ANSA, APA, Belga,
    DPA, EFE, Keystone, Lusa, Pressebild, and in Japan via JIJI press.

    For more details please see www.arianespace.com.

    About SES ASTRA www.ses-astra.com

    SES ASTRA is the leading Direct-to-Home (DTH) satellite system in
    Europe, delivering services to more than 109 million DTH and cable
    households. The ASTRA satellite fleet currently comprises 12
    satellites, transmitting 1,864 analogue and digital television and
    radio channels. SES ASTRA also provides satellite-based multimedia,
    internet and telecommunication services to enterprises, governments
    and their agencies. With 26 High Definition (HD) channels available
    via its satellites today, ASTRA is also the most important HDTV
    broadcasting platform in Europe. ASTRA's prime orbital positions are
    19.2(degree) East, 28.2(degree) East, and 23.5(degree) East.

    SES ASTRA is an SES company (Paris:SESG) (LuxX:SESG). SES owns
    three market-leading satellite operators, SES ASTRA in Europe, SES
    AMERICOM in North America, and SES NEW SKIES, which provide global
    coverage and connectivity. The Company also holds strategic
    participations in SES Sirius in Europe, Ciel in Canada and Quetzsat in
    Mexico. SES provides outstanding satellite communications solutions
    via a fleet of 36 satellites in 25 orbital positions around the globe.
    Additional information on SES is available at: www.ses.com