Astra 2G successfully launched
Astra 2G successfully launched
Astra 2G satellite has successfully been launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome (03:37 local time 28/12/2014 or 21:37 GMT 27/12/2014)
Astra 2G is the third and final satellite in a replacement programme for the UK TV satellites at 28.2-5 degrees East
After a 9-hour, 12-minute mission, the Breeze M upper stage of the Proton rocket successfully released the ASTRA 2G satellite into geostationary transfer orbit.
ILS Communications Team:
“We have had a successful mission with the Proton M Breeze M rocket, carrying the Astra 2G satellite built by Airbus. We have confirmation that the satellite separated from the vehicle on schedule at 1:49 a.m. EST, or 06:49 GMT, approximately 9 hours and 12 minutes after liftoff. Everything occurred as planned with ignition, shutdown and separation of the Proton’s first three stages. Then the Breeze M upper stage with the satellite continued the mission, igniting five times, and then releasing the satellite into transfer orbit.”
Astra 2G will now make its way to its test orbit an location, before joining Astra 2E and 2F for the transmission of UK satellite TV.
Sky and Freesat viewers in the UK and Ireland should see no disruption and little change in satellite reception.
Sky and Freesat viewers in Europe will find that Astra 2Gs reception willbe similar to Astra 2E and 2F.
Astra 2G will also contain a spotbeam providing TV to West Africa and a spotbeam aimed at France for satellite broadband.
Will the new Astra satellite mean that we will get BBC / ITV and Sky channels back on the Costa DDel Sol?
BBC and ITVs are already on their new satellites (2e and 2f) so there is no need to move them to 2G.
And it would be pointless as those channels would simply go onto 2Gs UK beam, which will be very similar to the UK beams they are already using on 2E and 2F.
So, in short, no.
So it’s BBC Satback then?
or move to Valencia where the signals are as good as they have ever been!