Astrium was selected by Alcatel Space to manufacture a series of identical geostationary satellites for Worldspace Inc. They broadcast audio, text and images to an audience of more than 4.6 billion people all over the world using a new generation of low-cost portable receivers.
Afristar was launched in 1998 and Asiastar in 2000. A further satellite, Worldstar 3, has also been completed. Astrium was prime contractor for the satellites, with Alcatel Space taking prime responsibility for the payloads and the overall system. The spacecraft use the largest version of the Eurostar E2000 platform to provide the extra power and lifetime necessary for the mission.
In addition to supplying the spacecraft, Astrium provided the deployable reflectors and developed the control centres for each satellite.
