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Astra 2A

FieldValue
nameAstra 2A
image_size300px
mission_typeCommunications
operatorSES
COSPAR_ID1998-050A
SATCAT25462
websitehttps://www.ses.com/
mission_duration15 years (planned)
Final:
spacecraft_typeBoeing 601
spacecraft_busHS-601HP
manufacturerHughes Space and Communications
launch_mass3635 kg
power6 kW
launch_date30 August 1998, 00:31:00 UTC
launch_rocketProton-K / DM-03
launch_siteBaikonur, Site 81/23
launch_contractorKhrunichev State Research and Production Space Center
entered_serviceOctober 1998
disposal_typeGraveyard orbit
deactivatedMay 2025
orbit_referenceGeocentric orbit
orbit_regimeGeostationary orbit
orbit_longitudeAstra 28.2°E (1998-2016)
113.5°E (2016-2018)
100°E (2018-2020)
Astra 28.2°E (2020-2022)
57.2°E (2022-25)
apsisgee
trans_band32 Ku-band
trans_bandwidth33 MHz
trans_coverageEurope
programmeAstra constellation
previous_missionAstra 1G
next_missionAstra 1H

Final: 113.5°E (2016-2018) 100°E (2018-2020) Astra 28.2°E (2020-2022) 57.2°E (2022-25)

Astra 2A was one of the Astra communications satellites owned by SES. Launched in 1998 into the 28.2° East orbital position, half its expected end-of-life capacity of 28 transponders were pre-booked by BSkyB, to launch the new Sky Digital service. The satellite was retired after more than 26 years.

History

The satellite suffered pre-launch technical issues with its apogee motors and was moved to a launch by the Proton-K / DM-03 rather than the Ariane 5, as the Proton can inject directly in geostationary orbit (GEO).

When positioned at 28.2 East, it joined DFS Kopernikus-1, which served mainly Eastern Europe. The satellite was the first of Astra's craft to never carry analogue television services (with the exception of a solitary test card in 1999 ), and as of 2006, carried standard definition digital television, digital radio, and high-definition digital television, as well as Sky Interactive streams and the AVC Broadband and Silvermead satellite Internet services. Two beams "2A North" and "2A South" transmitted on horizontal and vertical polarisation, with the South beam covering almost all of Europe, and the North beam covering only Northern Europe at a high power.

In March 2015, two years beyond Astra 2A's projected lifespan, and following the launches of Astra 2E in 2013, Astra 2F in 2012, and Astra 2G in 2014 to 28.2° East, all remaining traffic was transferred from Astra 2A to the newer satellites. From 25 March 2015, Astra 2A remained at 28.2° East, inactive, and was expected to be moved to Astra 23.5°E to operate as a backup satellite to Astra 3B but in the summer of 2016 it was instead moved to 113.5°E. In July 2018, Astra 2A started moving west at approximately 0.6°/day to arrive at its new position of 100° East in August 2018. In May 2020, Astra 2A started moving west at approx 0.8°/day. and in the autumn 2020, it was back at 28.2°E. The satellite was moved to 57.2°E in 2022 Since May 2025, Astra 2A has been non-operational and drifting west at approximately 5.8°/day.

References

References

  1. "ASTRA 2A". N2YO.com.
  2. [http://www.tbs-satellite.com/tse/online/sat_astra_2a.html The Satellite Encyclopaedia]
  3. [https://web.archive.org/web/19991008165609/http://www.lyngsat.com/astra2a.shtml LyngSat (archived)]
  4. [http://www.satandpcguy.com/blog/2015/03/astra-2a-frequencies-moved-to-astra-2e-and-2f/ ''Astra 2A frequencies moved to Astra 2E and 2F''] The Sat And PC Guy 5 March 2015 Accessed 25 March 2015
  5. ''Where markets grow via satellite: Our global satellite fleet'' SES January 2012
  6. [http://www.n2yo.com/satellites/?c=34&srt=1&dir=1 Real Time Satellite Tracking And Predictions] Accessed 30 October 2016
  7. [http://www.n2yo.com/satellites/?c=34&srt=1&dir=1 REAL TIME SATELLITE TRACKING AND PREDICTIONS] Accessed July 29, 2018
  8. [http://www.n2yo.com/satellites/?c=34&srt=1&dir=1 Real Time Satellite Tracking And Predictions] Accessed August 20, 2018
  9. [http://www.n2yo.com/satellites/?c=34&srt=1&dir=1 REAL TIME SATELLITE TRACKING AND PREDICTIONS] Accessed May 30, 2020
  10. [http://www.n2yo.com/satellites/?c=34&srt=1&dir=1 REAL TIME SATELLITE TRACKING AND PREDICTIONS] Accessed December 31, 2020
  11. [http://www.n2yo.com/satellites/?c=34&srt=1&dir=1 REAL TIME SATELLITE TRACKING AND PREDICTIONS] Accessed 23 August 2022
  12. [http://www.n2yo.com/satellites/?c=34&srt=1&dir=1 Real Time Satellite Tracking And Predictions] Accessed 29 May 2025
Info: Wikipedia Source

This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page.

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