Astra 3B & COMSATBw-2

Astra 3B is one of the Astra communications satellites owned and operated by SES, launched in 2010 to the Astra 23.5°E orbital slot providing digital television and radio for direct-to-home (DTH), and two-way satellite broadband services across Europe and the Middle East. Astra 3B was used by SES to broadcast its first demonstration 8K television signal in May 2018.

MilSat Services GmbH, a company set up by EADS SPACE Services and ND SatCom, will provide the German Bundeswehr's satellite communications system SatcomBW Step 2. The Federal Office for Information Management and Information Technology of the Bundeswehr (IT-AmtBw) and MilSat Services signed a contract in Koblenz, Germany on Wednesday. The contract became valid after the German budget for 2006 has been enacted. The satellites in the SatcomBw-2 system are called COMSATBw 1 and 2 With the SATCOMBw programme, the German Armed Forces will have a secure information network for use by units on deployed missions. This will allow voice and fax as well as advanced data, video, and multimedia applications. For the first time, the Bundeswehr will have a secure communications system with dedicated military communications satellites. The entire system is due to start regular operation in the year 2009 and will constitute an important step in the implementation of the Bundeswehr concept for network-centric operations.