Astra 2G, the third and final new UK TV satellite at the Astra 28 east slot is now live and carrying channels.
Although at the time of writing there has been no official statement from SES or any broadcasters.
But about a dozen frequencies have moved to Astra 2G from Astra 2E, Astra 2F and the aging Eutelsat 28A over the last few days.
As a result of these moves, most UK viewers should see a slight improvement in signal.
In our previous post ( http://www.satandpcguy.com/blog/2015/06/astra-2g-new-uk-tv-satellite-news-update/ ) , we said “will be at 28 east by the 15th June.”
And we were correct.
Astra 2G arrived at 28 east, the UK TV slot, early this morning.
Astra 2G satellite is on the move.
For the last few months, Astra 2G has been on an interim mission. This interim mission was to “reserve” a slot at 21.5º east, a slot for the Luxembourg governments military satellite, GovSat.
ILS Proton to Launch Astra 2G
ASTRA 2G is the third spacecraft of a three satellite investment programme (ASTRA 2E, 2F and 2G) that SES contracted with Airbus Defence and Space in order to provide replacement as well as incremental satellite capacity in the orbital arc of 28.2/28.5 degrees East. ASTRA 2G carries 62 Ku-band transponders as well as 4 Ka-band transponders. The different beams provide coverage over the UK and Ireland, Europe and West Africa.
Launch and Satellite Details:
Payload: ASTRA 2G communications satellite
Eurostar E3000 Platform
Separated spacecraft mass: ~6,020 kg
Launch Vehicle: Proton M/Breeze M
705,000 kg (1,554,000 lb), including payload
58.2 m (191ft)
Launch Date: November 28, 2014
Launch Time:
03:24:33 Baikonur
00:24:33 Moscow
22:24:33 Luxembourg and CET (27 Nov)
21:24:33 GMT (27 Nov)
16:24:33 EDT (27 Nov)
Launch Site: Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan, Launch Pad 39
Launch Customer: SES, Luxembourg
Satellite Manufacturer: Airbus Defence and Space
Launch Vehicle Khrunichev State Research and Production Space Center,
Manufacturer: Russia
Launch Services
Provider: International Launch Services, USA
Satellite Use: ASTRA 2G is the third spacecraft of a three satellite investment program (ASTRA 2E, 2F, and 2G) that SES contracted with Airbus Defence and Space in order to provide replacement as well as incremental satellite capacity in the orbital arc of 28.2/28.5 degrees East. ASTRA 2G carries 62 Ku-band transponders as well as 4 Ka-band transponders. The different beams provide wide coverage over the UK and Ireland, Europe and West Africa.
The ASTRA 2G satellite will also support SATMED, an e-health platform conceived by SES and supported by the Luxembourg Government and the Ministry for Cooperation and Humanitarian Action is a satellite based communication solution aimed to improve public health in emerging and developing countries.
Satellite Statistics: __62 Ku-band transponders
__4 Ka-band transponders, including 1 interconnect
__Planned orbital location: 28.2/28.5 degrees East longitude
__Anticipated service life: 15 years
Mission Profile: The Proton M launch vehicle, utilizing a 5-burn Breeze M mission design, will lift off from Pad 39 at Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan, with the ASTRA 2G satellite on board. The first three stages of the Proton will use a standard ascent profile to place the orbital unit (Breeze M Upper Stage and the ASTRA 2G satellite) into a sub-orbital trajectory. From this point in the mission, the Breeze M will perform planned mission manoeuvres to advance the orbital unit first to a circular parking orbit, then to an intermediate orbit, followed by a transfer orbit, and finally to a geosynchronous transfer orbit. Separation of the ASTRA 2G satellite is scheduled to occur approximately 9 hours, 12 minutes after liftoff.
Target Orbit Perigee: 4,163 km
at Separation: Apogee: 35,736 km
Inclination: 23.0 degrees
Spacecraft Separation: Approximately 9 hours, 12 minutes after liftoff
ILS Mission Statistics: _7th Proton launch in 2014
_2nd ILS Proton launch in 2014
_86th ILS Proton Launch Overall
_24th SES Satellite Launched on ILS Proton
_18th Airbus Defence and Space Satellite Launched on ILS Proton
Astra 2G Website Links:
Astra 2G Satellite Information – Reception in Costa Blanca and Spain
Astra 2G Satellite Information – Signal Footprint Reception Maps
Astra 2G Satellite Information – Transponders, Frequencies and Channels
Astra 2G Satellite Information – Images and Pictures
Astra 2G Satellite Specifications and Launch Details
Astra 2G News Updates and Testing Information
ILS Proton to Launch Astra 2G
Payload: ASTRA 2G communications satellite
Eurostar E3000 Platform
Separated spacecraft mass: ~6,020 kg
Launch Vehicle: Proton M/Breeze M
705,000 kg (1,554,000 lb), including payload
58.2 m (191ft)
Launch Date: November 28, 2014
Launch Time:
03:24:33 Baikonur
00:24:33 Moscow
22:24:33 Luxembourg and CET (27 Nov)
21:24:33 GMT (27 Nov)
16:24:33 EDT (27 Nov)
Launch Site: Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan, Launch Pad 39
Launch Customer: SES, Luxembourg
Satellite Manufacturer: Airbus Defence and Space
Launch Vehicle: Khrunichev State Research and Production Space Center,
Manufacturer: Russia
Launch Services
Provider: International Launch Services, USA
Satellite Use:
ASTRA 2G is the third spacecraft of a three satellite investment program (ASTRA 2E, 2F, and 2G) that SES contracted with Airbus Defence and Space in order to provide replacement as well as incremental satellite capacity in the orbital arc of 28.2/28.5 degrees East. ASTRA 2G carries 62 Ku-band transponders as well as 4 Ka-band transponders. The different beams provide wide coverage over the UK and Ireland, Europe and West Africa.
The ASTRA 2G satellite will also support SATMED, an e-health platform conceived by SES and supported by the Luxembourg Government and the Ministry for Cooperation and Humanitarian Action is a satellite based communication solution aimed to improve public health in emerging and developing countries.
Satellite Statistics:
62 Ku-band transponders
4 Ka-band transponders, including 1 interconnect
Planned orbital location: 28.2/28.5 degrees East longitude
Anticipated service life: 15 years
Mission Profile:
The Proton M launch vehicle, utilizing a 5-burn Breeze M mission design, will lift off from Pad 39 at Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan, with the ASTRA 2G satellite on board. The first three stages of the Proton will use a standard ascent profile to place the orbital unit (Breeze M Upper Stage and the ASTRA 2G satellite) into a sub-orbital trajectory. From this point in the mission, the Breeze M will perform planned mission maneuvers to advance the orbital unit first to a circular parking orbit, then to an intermediate orbit, followed by a transfer orbit, and finally to a geosynchronous transfer orbit. Separation of the ASTRA 2G satellite is scheduled to occur approximately 9 hours, 12 minutes after liftoff.
Target Orbit Perigee: 4,163 km
at Separation: Apogee: 35,736 km
Inclination: 23.0 degrees
Spacecraft Separation: Approximately 9 hours, 12 minutes after liftoff
ILS Mission Statistics: _7th Proton launch in 2014
2nd ILS Proton launch in 2014
86th ILS Proton Launch Overall
24th SES Satellite Launched on ILS Proton
18th Airbus Defence and Space Satellite Launched on ILS Proton
http://www.satandpcguy.com/Site/astra_2g_satellite_reception_testing_news_updates.php
Astra 2G Satellite: Launch Update 13th November 2014:
SES has confirmed that all is looking good with its upcoming launch of Astra 2G on November 28th. International Launch Services (ILS), which is responsible for the Proton rocket launch in Kazakhstan, completed the first day of fuelling the craft on November 10th.
ILS also says that the Briz-M Upper Stage is undergoing its final test stages and will be joined to the main Proton rocket on November 14th.
http://www.satandpcguy.com/Site/astra_2g_satellite_reception_testing_news_updates.php
ILS and Astra have released the Astra 2G launch poster.
The launch of the European satellite Astra 2G is scheduled for November 28 from the Baikonur space center.
Preparations for the launch of the European satellite Astra 2G scheduled for November 28 are continuing at the Baikonur space center, Alexander Shmygov, a spokesman for the Khrunichev research and production space center, told Interfax-AVN.
“All work is going according to schedule,” Shmygov said in commenting on online reports alleging that the satellite’s launch could be postponed to a later date.
A Briz-M upper stage to put the satellite into orbit was delivered to a fuelling station on Friday, and its high-pressure tanks are to be fueled on Saturday, Shmygov said.
A number of Internet reports suggested earlier that the companies providing insurance coverage for the upcoming launch had proposed that it be postponed, considering that a Briz-M upper stage used in the previous launch of an Express-AM6 satellite had placed it into the wrong orbit. “Underwriters’ faith in Russian hardware in general, and in Proton in particular, has been shaken,” one insurance official said. “I mean, after all, the last launch dropped the satellite 2,500 kilometers short of its destination.”