Astra 2C
| Mission type | Communication |
|---|---|
| Operator |
SES Astra SES S.A. |
| COSPAR ID | 2001-025A |
| SATCAT № | 26853 |
| Mission duration | 15 years |
| Spacecraft properties | |
| Bus | BSS 601 HP |
| Manufacturer | Boeing Satellite Systems |
| Launch mass | 3,643 kilograms (8,031 lb) |
| Power | 7,000 W |
| Start of mission | |
| Launch date | 16 June 2001, 01:49:00 UTC |
| Rocket | Proton-K/DM3 |
| Launch site | Baikonur 81/23 |
| Contractor | ILS |
| Orbital parameters | |
| Reference system | Geocentric |
| Regime | Geostationary |
| Longitude | 60.2° East |
| Slot |
60.2° East (2015-) Astra 28.2°E (2007-09, 2014) Astra 19.2°E (2001-07, 2010-14) Astra 31.5°E (2009-10) |
| Perigee | 35,774 kilometres (22,229 mi) |
| Apogee | 35,809 kilometres (22,251 mi) |
| Inclination | 0.05 degrees |
| Period | 1436.05 minutes |
| Epoch | 22 January 2015, 22:40:56 UTC |
| Transponders | |
| Band | 32 Ku band (to be reduced to 28 by end of life) |
| Bandwidth | 33 MHz |
| Coverage area |
United Kingdom Ireland |
| TWTA power | 105 W |
| EIRP | 51 dBW |
Astra 2C is one of the Astra communications satellites owned and operated by SES. Designed to join Astra 2A and Astra 2B at the Astra 28.2°E orbital slot providing digital television and radio broadcast services to the UK and Republic of Ireland, the satellite was first used after launch in 2001 at 19.2°E for pan-European coverage.
The satellite provides one broadcast beam with horizontal and vertical polarisation, across a single footprint covering the areas of Central and Eastern Europe, Scandinavia, the Iberian peninsula and Canary Islands.
TV signals can be received with a 50 cm dish across the majority of the British Isles with a 60 cm dish required in the extreme north and west. Astra 2C can also provide backup capacity, substituting for one or more transponders across the 10.70 GHz-12.20 GHz broadcast range used by Astra satellites in the Astra 19.2°E and Astra 28.2°E orbital positions.
Although originally intended for Astra 28.2°E, the satellite has spent little of its life in that orbital position, stationed at Astra 19.2°E and Astra 31.5°E for some 11 years for pan-European coverage (see below). Positioned at 28.2°E for just 19 months from August 2007 and for 16 months from March 2014, Astra 2C was then moved to 60.5°E in August 2015
Astra 2C was first positioned at 19.2°E after launch in 2001, to provide pan-European capacity at the primary Astra position pending the launch of Astra 1L (in May 2007) and was moved to 28.2°E in August 2007, transmitting digital TV and interactive services for Sky Digital and Freesat. Only two transponders were active during this time.
The satellite was returned to 19.2°E in September 2010 while Astra 1N, which was intended for positioning at Astra 19.2°E, was used at Astra 28.2°E. As of July 2012, there are 16 transponders active, in particular six for the Spanish Canal+ pay-TV platform and five for Sky Deutschland.
...
Wikipedia