DFS-Kopernikus
DFS Copernicus ( German telecommunications satellite Copernicus, after the astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus ) was the name of three geostationary communications satellites of the German Post Office (later German Telekom). They were all now decommissioned and placed in a graveyard orbit.
- DFS Copernicus 1: 23.5 ° East, 33.5 ° East later (1989-1994? )
- DFS Copernicus 2: 28.5 ° East (1990-2000? )
- DFS Copernicus 3: 23.5 ° East ( 1992-2002)
The beginnings
1982 met the German Federal Post Office, the decision to build a national telecommunications satellite system (FSS ). The manufacturing of the satellite in 1983 to a German industrial consortium known as RDFS (later GESAT ), consisting of the MBB - ERNO and AEG -Telefunken news GmbH ( ANT) (formerly AEG -Telefunken ) awarded. ANT was from 1983 a consortium of Thomson, Bosch, Mannesmann and Allianz Insurance.
When development began, they should serve two purposes:
The design included the satellite DFS and DFS II I in the geostationary orbit and a satellite ground spares. The position was provided 23.5 ° East and 28.5 ° East for DFS II For DFS I.
Technology
The satellite had a launch mass of around 1400-1415 kg and at the beginning of their lifetime in geostationary orbit, a mass of 850 kg. Your solar panels had a wingspan of 15.5 meters and delivered up to 1550 watts of electrical power. The communications equipment consists of ten 14/11-12-GHz-Transpondern (plus five spare) and an experimental 30/20-GHz-Transponder. The transmit power per transponder was 20 watts. The three 11- GHz band (FSS band ) transponder bandwidth of 72 MHz. Seven transponders for the 12 GHz band (SMS - band ), a bandwidth of 36 MHz per The price of the Copernicus satellite at that time amounted to 50 million U.S. dollars.
Service history
After its launch on June 5, 1989 DFS Copernicus 1 was positioned at 23.5 degrees East. From 1 August 1989, he took on his work. Although it was not designed or planned for, the German Federal Post Office used him at that time primarily not as a telecommunications satellite, but as Satellite TV. DFS Copernicus should the delays in the DBS - TV, which was created by the construction and launch delays, due to political disputes as well as the technical loss of TV - SAT 1, level out, and so prevent the entry of private sector Astra satellite in the German television market. To feed into the West German cable networks, the programs PRO 7, West 3, Tele 5, Bayerisches Fernsehen, EinsPlus were switched ( Culture program ), RTL Plus as well as the already in operation located DSR test package on the satellite.
After the start of DFS Copernicus 2 on 25 July 1990, which was positioned at 28.5 degrees East, the latter took over from September 3, 1990 all remaining Copernicus 1 telecommunications services so that all transponders were occupied on Copernicus 1 with TV programs. After the start of Copernicus Copernicus 3 this one sparked off at 23.5 ° East. Copernicus 1 was shifted to 33.5 ° East, where he worked as a telecommunications satellite, until it got out of control.
DFS Copernicus was not designed as direct broadcast satellite. For TV transmission therefore had besides the three very broad 72 MHz transponders in the frequency range from 11.45 to 11.7 GHz ( and thus in the usual FSS frequency band) were also the seven 36 -MHz-wide telecommunications transponders in so far for satellite television unusual SMS band 12.5 to 12.75 GHz are used. However, such a frequency band could not handle at that time located in the commercial satellite receiving systems for DTH Eutelsat's 13 ° East satellite position and therefore had first to be upgraded for the DFS Copernicus receiving the SMS band. The Astra system, however, followed with his frequency plan (up to Astra 1D) consistently Eutelsat standard ( 10.95 to 11.75 GHz). Many satellite enthusiasts, which had at that time over an existing satellite receiving system, so do not chose the more expensive way to switch to DFS Copernicus 23.5 ° East, but waved their receiving system only by Eutelsat's 13 degrees East ECS few degrees to the left to Astra 19.2 ° East ECS.
New -to-install Copernicus reception systems - which were mainly propagated via the retailer - found by an opposite also home improvement stores sold Astra "cheap bowls " much higher price no mass distribution, although up to the launch of the satellite Astra 1C and the intrusion of ARD and ZDF on the Astra system more German language television programs on Copernicus 3 as were on this.
After the start of a third at 19.2 ° East parallel positioned Astra Astra 1C, which took place on 12 May 1993, the battle for the German satellite sky was decided, and found with the intrusion of ARD and ZDF on August 27, 1993 on the Astra satellite system to an end. The three co-located Astra satellites so that the reception of 48 TV programs via an antenna was possible and thus for the first time were more German language television programs on the private Astra system as Copernicus 3 As a result, the German Federal Post Office took him pretty quickly from the market television satellites. The strategy of the post had finally failed.
From then on insignificant playbacks were conducted to cable networks only for the average satellite viewers. For example ran on Copernicus 3 in the summer of 1995 the first shipments of the German version of the private nursery program Nickelodeon. In addition, the satellite was now working as originally planned as a telecommunications satellite. In 2002, the German Telekom leased the satellite for the rest of his life to the Greek Hellas Sat, where he ran up to the end of life in 2003 under the name HellasSat 1.
Use after the Fall
After the Wall came down quickly created a high demand for domestic telephone connections. Since the cables could not be removed quickly enough, the new Copernicus 2 has since been used as a telephone satellite.
The successor
Because no German satellite she finished, now threatened Germany the loss of the orbital position of 23.5 degrees East. Telekom was not interested in a separate new satellites, although demand for a communications satellite was available and is. Therefore, an agreement with the operator SES Astra has been closed. This provides for the operation of an Astra satellite at the orbital position of German, which uses the there Germany allocated frequencies. The satellite Astra 3A participated as a replacement satellite Copernicus 3 in 2002 to his work.
Reception conditions
The Copernicus satellite were at the beginning of the 1990s can be received by satellite dishes from about 85 cm in diameter in Germany, while for the Astra 1A sufficient 60 cm in diameter. Unlike the case of Astra 1A but the audience for DFS Copernicus needed an expensive LNB which received both the ( exclusively used by Astra 1A) frequency range of 10.95 to 11.7 GHz and the frequency range from 12.5 to 12.75 GHz could. Because of the higher costs and greater need satellite dish, the Copernicus satellite could not be said for the mass market in spite of the then larger program offering.
Market shares around 1990 in Germany:
- Astra: about 80 %
- Copernicus: about 20 %
- TV - SAT 2: probably less than 1%