Astra 2F
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This article includes a list of references, but its sources remain unclear because it has insufficient inline citations. (September 2012) |
| Major contractors | Astrium |
|---|---|
| Bus | Eurostar E3000 |
| Launch date | September 28, 2012 |
| Carrier rocket | Ariane 5 V209 |
| Mission duration | 15 years |
| COSPAR ID | 2012-051A |
| Orbital elements | |
| Longitude | 28.2° East |
Astra 2F is one of the Astra communications satellites owned and operated by SES, launched in September 2012 to the Astra 28.2°E orbital slot.[1] The satellite provides free-to-air and encrypted direct-to-home (DTH) digital TV and satellite broadband services for Europe and Africa.
Astra 2F is the first of three ‘second generation’ satellites for the 28.2°E position which replace the first generation Astra 2A, Astra 2B craft currently there[2] and it will be joined in orbit by Astra 2E and Astra 2G in 2013 and 2014, respectively[3] Some parts of the construction of Astra 2F by Astrium in Stevenage, UK could be seen in the BBC2 documentary programme, How To Build… A Satellite broadcast on November 27, 2011.
Astra 2F was successfully launched from Kourou in French Guiana on September 28, 2012.[4] and underwent in-orbit testing at 43.5°E.[5] Commercial operations at 28.2°E began on November 21, 2012.[6]
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[edit] Market
The Astra 28.2°E position was established in 1998 to provide digital TV, digital radio and multimedia services to the UK and Republic of Ireland, and Astra 2F’s primary mission is to continue this provision as replacement and follow-on capacity to the Astra 2A, Astra 2B, Astra 2D and Astra 1N satellites, delivering programming to almost 13 million satellite homes, over 3 million cable homes, and 700,000 IPTV homes in the UK and Ireland, in particular for channels from the major UK digital satellite TV platforms, BSkyB and Freesat.[7]
In addition, Astra 2F serves the growing DTH platforms in West Africa such as Ghana’s MultiTV.
Astra 2F is also designed to provide SES Broadband’s first commercial Ka-band satellite broadband service in Europe, with a Ka-band payload delivering high-speed Internet access (at download speeds up to 20Mbit/s) along with VoIP, and IPTV from November 2012.
[edit] Broadcasting footprint
Astra 2F has three Ku-band downlink beams covering Europe and Africa. The Europe beam is centred on the English Channel with maximum signal (for reception on a 40 cm dish) over the UK, Ireland, France, Benelux, and parts of Germany, Austria, and Spain, and reception on a 1m dish extending to North Africa, Poland and the Balkans.
The UK Spot beam provides maximum signal (40 cm dishes) over the UK and Ireland in close approximation of the UK Beam of [Astra 2D], which it replaces.[8] Due to the tight footprint, some reception issues for UK channels are being reported in Spain as of December 2012. Early reports of test transmissions on 11.023 GHz H 23000 DVB-S2 suggest the beam is very tight with a very sharp fall off to the west and east of the footprint, but eastern Spain seems to be getting a higher signal strength possibly due to the off-axis beam as 28.2°E on the geostationary arc is not directly in line with the UK but offset to the east.[citation needed]
The West Africa beam provides for reception with 60 cm dishes across southern West Africa from Senegal to Nigeria, with a lower signal level (80 cm dishes) extending across the Democratic Republic of Congo.[9]
The Ka-band footprint for satellite broadband provides full service coverage across western Europe from the UK and France in the west to Czech Republic, Austria, Croatia and Boznia Herzegovina in the east.[10]
[edit] TV & Radio Channels on Astra 2F UK Beam
Tp57 10.964 GHz H 22000 5/6:
- Channel 5 London
- Channel 5 South Central
- Channel 5 North
- Channel 5 Scotland
- Channel 5 Northern Ireland
- 5USA
- 5USA +1
- 5*
- 5* +1
- Channel 5 +1
Tp59 10.994 GHz H 22000 5/6:
- ITV Meridian North
- ITV Anglia West
- ITV Yorkshire East
- ITV HD Granada
- ITV Central South West
- ITV +1 Yorkshire East
Tp61 11.023 GHz H 23000 2/3 8PSK DVB-S2:
- BBC One HD Scotland
- BBC One HD Wales
Tp63 11.053 GHz H 22000 5/6:
- ITV Central South
- ITV Central East
- ITV +1 Wales
- ITV +1 Tyne Tees
- ITV +1 Westcountry West
- ITV HD test
Tp68 11.126 GHz V 22000 5/6:
- Channel 4 HD
- 4seven
[edit] See also
- Astra 2A co-located satellite
- Astra 2B co-located satellite
- Astra 2D co-located satellite (not active)
- Astra 1N satellite to be replaced
- Astra 28.2°E orbital position
- SES satellite operator
- Astra satellite family
[edit] References
- ^ "SES SUCCESSFULLY LAUNCHES ASTRA 2F SATELLITE" (Press release). SES. October 1, 2012. Retrieved October 1, 2012.
- ^ Bains, Geoff. "The Good Die Young" What Satellite & Digital TV Summer 2012 pp29
- ^ "SES Orders Four New Satellites From ASTRIUM" (Press release). SES. 30 November 2009. Retrieved August 28, 2012.
- ^ "SES SUCCESSFULLY LAUNCHES ASTRA 2F SATELLITE" (Press release). SES. October 1, 2012. Retrieved December 27, 2012.
- ^ Astra 2F Testing Reception Reports, Satellites.co.uk, retrieved December 27, 2012
- ^ "SES’ ASTRA 2F SATELLITE STARTS OPERATIONS" (Press release). SES. November 21, 2012. Retrieved December 27, 2012.
- ^ ASTRA 2F arrives at the Guiana Space Centre, Kourou August 23, 2012 SES blog. Accessed August 26, 2012
- ^ Bains, Geoff. "Flight of the Big Birds" What Satellite & Digital TV February 2012 pp29
- ^ Astra 2F footprints & coverages on satelaunch.net Accesses August 29, 2012
- ^ Bains, Geoff. "The Astra 2F Bonus" What Satellite & Digital TV June 2012 pp29
[edit] External links
- SES guide to receiving Astra satellites
- SES guide to channels broadcasting on Astra satellites
- OnAstra - Official consumers/viewers' site
- SES - Official trade/industry site
- Astra 2F Information, Maps & Reception
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