Astra 2E
Astra 2E is a commercial communications satellite company SES Global ( formerly SES Astra - Société Européenne des Satellites - Astra ), headquartered in Betz village in Luxembourg.
He was taken on September 29, 2013 at 21:38 UTC by a Proton -M carrier rocket from the Baikonur launch site in a geostationary orbit. This launched the satellite, despite lower letters in the name, a year later than Astra 2F.
The three -axis stabilized satellite is equipped with 60 Ku-band and 4 Ka - band transponders and is from a position 28.2 to 28.5 degrees East, Europe and the Middle East with broadband (Ka -band) and television ( Ku band ) supply. It was built on the basis of the satellite bus Euro Star 3000 EADS Astrium and has a design life of 15 years.
Reception
Astra 2E has in the Ku- band three beams:
- The UK spot beam spot beam is slightly larger than that of Astra 2F, falls on the edge but from much stronger in the core. Both Astra 2E and 2F at the UK- spot beams are designed to ensure that the BBC and ITV programs (" Freesat " ) can be received, or only with great effort outside of the UK. This works to the chagrin of the foreign audience much better than its predecessors Astra 1N and Astra 2D. The conversion of the BBC took place on the night of 6 February on ITV in the night February 11, 2014.
- The European Beam is similar to the Astra 2F, but according to the operating company in the east of Germany and Austria and in the west of the Czech Republic weaker than the latter. Compared with the previous Astra 1N, but also Astra 2A and Eutelsat 28A, the European footprints of Astra 2E and 2F are smaller, especially in Eastern Europe and Scandinavia. Unlike Astra 2F, the conversion has not yet been accompanied by a significant increase in code rate. The conversion of the station took place from February 4, 2014, however, many transponders on 1N is not switched to Astra 2E but on Astra 2A.
- While Astra 2F has an African beam, Astra 2E has a beam for the Arabian Peninsula. There is no significant use in both.