Astra 2E

Astra 2E
Names	Eutelsat 28F
Mission type	Communications
Operator	SES S.A.
COSPAR ID	2013-056A
SATCAT no.	39285
Website	https://www.ses.com/
Mission duration	15 years (planned); 7 years, 11 months, 3 days (elapsed)
Spacecraft properties
Spacecraft type	Eurostar
Bus	Eurostar-3000
Manufacturer	Astrium; (now Airbus Defence and Space)
Launch mass	6,020 kg (13,270 lb)
Start of mission
Launch date	29 September 2013, 21:38 UTC
Rocket	Proton-M / Briz-M
Launch site	Baikonur, Site 200/39
Contractor	Khrunichev State Research and Production Space Center
Entered service	February 2014
Orbital parameters
Reference system	Geocentric orbit
Regime	Geostationary orbit
Longitude	28.2° East
Transponders
Band	63 transponders:; 60 Ku-band; 3 Ka-band
Coverage area	Europe, Middle East, Africa
	Astra constellation ← Astra 2F Astra 5B →

Astra 2E is one of the Astra communications satellites owned and operated by SES S.A., launched to the Astra 28.2°E orbital position on 30 September 2013 ^[2] after a 10-week delay caused by launcher problems. The satellite provides free-to-air and encrypted direct-to-home (DTH) digital television and satellite broadband services for Europe and the Middle East.^[3]

After launch, Astra 2E underwent in-orbit testing at 43.5° East ^[4] and began commercial operations at 28.2° East in February 2014.^[5] At that time, channels broadcast via Astra 1N (temporarily located at 28.2° East pending Astra 1E's launch) were transferred to Astra 2E and Astra 1N relocated to its design position at 19.2° East.^[6]

Astra 2E is the second of three "second generation" satellites for the 28.2° East position to replace the first generation Astra 2A, Astra 2B, Astra 2C and Astra 2D craft originally positioned there between 1998 and 2001.^[7] The first, Astra 2F, was launched in 2012,^[8] and the third, Astra 2G, was launched on 27 December 2014.^[9])

Unlike other SES/Astra satellites, the launch order of Astra 2E and Astra 2F is not reflected in their alphabetical names, with Astra 2F launched 10 months before Astra 2E.

Market[]

The Astra 28.2° East orbital position was established in 1998 to provide digital television, digital radio and multimedia services to the United Kingdom and Ireland, and Astra 2E's primary mission is to continue this provision as replacement and follow-on capacity to the Astra 2A, Astra 2D and Astra 1N satellites. Along with Astra 2F it delivers programming to almost 13 million satellite homes, over 3 million cable homes, and 700,000 Internet Protocol television (IPTV) homes in the United Kingdom and Ireland, in particular for channels from the major United Kingdom digital satellite television satellite bus, BSkyB and Freesat.^[10]

ASTRA 2E also delivers broadcast and Very-small-aperture terminal (VSAT) services in Europe, Middle East and Africa in Ku-band.^[11] and Ka-band capacity will provide internet via satellite with download speeds of up to 20 Mbit/s to Germany.^[12]

Broadcasting footprint[]

Astra 2E has three Ku-band downlink beams covering Europe and the Middle East:

The European Beam is centred on the English Channel with maximum signal over the United Kingdom, Ireland, France, Benelux, and parts of Germany, Austria, and Spain (including a "lobe" specifically designed to serve the Canary Islands), and reception on a larger dish extending to Italy, Poland, North Africa, and the Balkans.
The UK Beam provides maximum signal (for 45 cm dishes) over the United Kingdom, Ireland, Benelux and Northern France with a sharp roll-off of signal level outside this region, in close approximation of the UK Beam of Astra 2D. This enables channels to be broadcast free-to-air but with reception effectively constrained to the British Isles, and has been the basis for the Freesat free-to-air United Kingdom platform.^[13]
The Middle East beam is centred on the Arabian Peninsula and extends to Turkey and into East Africa, to provide for reception with 50 cm dishes.

The Ka-band footprint for satellite broadband provides full service coverage centred on central Europe and extending to France, Italy, the Balkans, the United Kingdom, and southern Sweden and Norway.^[11]

The satellite is fitted with 60 Ku-band transponders.^[12]

Launch delay[]

The launch of Astra 2E was intended to be by International Launch Services (ILS) Proton-M launch vehicle on 21 July 2013,^[14] but the previous launch of this launch vehicle on 2 July 2013, carrying three Russian GLONASS navigation satellites, ended with the exploding shortly after lift off and the Proton launch programme was postponed.^[15] The fault with the failed rocket was found to be the incorrect installation of three angular rate sensors, Roscosmos reported,^[16] and the launch programme was recommenced in September 2013.

Television channels on Astra 2E[]

Below is a list, as of February 2021, of the TV and radio channels broadcast from Astra 2E on its UK Beam and European Beam (the UK Beam is the most difficult to receive outside Britain and its islands):^[17]

In the list, television channels broadcast with a one-hour delay are shown Channel +1hr. Where both the original and the delayed channel are broadcast from the same transponder, this is shown in one entry as Channel [also +1hr].

UK Beam

Tp41 10.714 GHz H 22000 5/6:

Channel 4 Ireland +1hr (encrypted in VideoGuard)
Channel 4 London
Channel 4 Midlands
Channel 4 North
Channel 4 Scotland
Channel 4 South & East
E4 Ireland +1hr (encrypted in VideoGuard)
E4 UK
Film4 UK
More4 UK +1hr
More4 Ireland (encrypted in VideoGuard)

Tp44 10.758 GHz V 22000 5/6:

CITV
ITV 2
ITV 4 [also +1hr]
ITV Anglia East
ITV Be
ITV Central West
ITV Granada
ITV London
ITV Meridian East +1hr
ITV Wales

Tp45 10.773 GHz H 22000 5/6:

BBC Four
BBC One Channel Islands
BBC One East West
BBC One London
BBC One West
BBC Two England
CBeebies UK

Tp46 10.788 GHz V 22000 5/6:

BBC One E. Yorks & Lincs
BBC One East East
BBC One East Midlands
BBC One West Midlands
BBC One Wales
BBC Two Wales
BBC Parliament
BBC Radio 3
BBC Radio 4 Extra
BBC Radio 4 FM
BBC Radio 4 LW
BBC Radio 6 Music
BBC Radio Cymru
BBC Radio Foyle
BBC Radio nan Gàidheal
BBC Radio Scotland
BBC Radio Wales
BBC Radio Ulster
BBC World Service UK

Tp47 10.803 GHz H 22000 5/6:

BBC Alba
BBC One Scotland
BBC One North East & Cumbria
BBC One North West
BBC One South East
BBC One Yorkshire & North Midlands
BBC Scotland
BBC Asian Network
BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1xtra
BBC Radio 2
BBC Radio Cymru 2
BBC Radio 5 Live
BBC Radio 5 Live Sports Extra
BBC Radio London

Tp48 10.818 GHz V 22000 5/6:

BBC News
BBC One Northern Ireland
BBC One Oxford
BBC One South
BBC One South West
BBC Two Northern Ireland
CBBC

Tp50 10.847 GHz V 23000 3/4 DVB-S2:

BBC One HD
BBC One Northern Ireland HD
BBC Two HD
BBC Two Wales HD
CBBC HD

Tp53 10.891 GHz H 22000 5/6:

ITV 2 +1hr
ITV Be +1hr
ITV Border
ITV Central East
ITV Central West +1hr
ITV London +1hr
ITV Meridian South Coast
ITV Meridian East
ITV Westcountry West
ITV Tyne Tees
ITV Yorkshire West

Tp54 10.906 GHz V 22000 5/6:

ITV 3 [also +1hr]
ITV Channel Television
ITV Granada +1hr
ITV Westcountry South West
STV East
STV North
STV Tayside
STV West
UTV [also +1hr]

Tp56 10.936 GHz V 22000 5/6:

Channel 4 Ireland (encrypted in VideoGuard)
Channel 4 London +1hr
Channel 4 North +1hr
Channel 4 Northern Ireland
Channel 4 Scotland +1hr
Channel 4 South & East +1hr
E4 Ireland (encrypted in VideoGuard)
E4 UK +1hr
Film 4 Ireland (encrypted in VideoGuard)
Film 4 UK +1hr
More 4 UK

Tp113 11.386 GHz H 29500 8/9 DVB-S2 (encrypted in VideoGuard):

BT Sport 2 HD
BT Sport Box Office UK HD
BT Sport ESPN HD

Tp114 11.386 GHz V 29500 3/4 DVB-S2 (encrypted in VideoGuard):

BT Sport 1 HD
BT Sport 3 HD
BT Sport Box Office 2 UK HD
BT Sport Extra 1 HD

Tp115 11.426 GHz H 27500 2/3 (encrypted in Conax):

The Racing Partnership

Tp116 11.426 GHz V 29500 8/9 DVB-S2:

FreeSports HD
LaLiga TV HD (encrypted in VideoGuard)
Quest UK HD
S4C HD

European Beam

Tp3 11.758 GHz H 27500 2/3 DVB-S2 (encrypted in VideoGuard):

Sky Documentaries HD
Sky UHD1
Utsav Gold HD

Tp7 11.836 GHz H 27500 5/6 (encrypted in VideoGuard):

Challenge UK (unencrypted)
Crime + Investigation [also +1hr]
E! UK
Forces TV (unencrypted)
Lifetime UK
National Geographic UK [also +1hr]
Nat Geo Wild UK
Sky Crime +1hr
Sky History UK [also +1hr]
Sky History 2
Sky Replay Ireland
Sky Witness UK
Syfy UK [also +1hr]
Together TV (unencrypted)
Zee Cinema UK

Tp8 11.856 GHz V 27500 2/3 DVB-S2 (encrypted in VideoGuard):

British Eurosport 1 HD
British Eurosport 2 HD
E4 HD
Sky One Ireland HD
Sky Sports Arena HD
Sky Sports Main Event Ireland HD
Virgin Media One HD
Virgin Media Two HD

Tp11 11.914 GHz H 27500 5/6 (encrypted in VideoGuard):

Baby TV
MUTV
Oireachtas TV
Premier Sports Active 1-5
RTÉ 2
RTÉ Jr
RTÉ News
RTÉ One [also +1hr]
Sky Replay UK
TG4
RTÉ Lyric FM
RTÉ Radio 1
RTÉ 2 FM
RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta

Tp12 11.934 GHz V 27500 5/6 (encrypted in VideoGuard):

Challenge Ireland (unencrypted)
Ginx eSports TV
Sky Cinema Action
Sky Cinema Comedy
Sky Cinema Thriller
Sky Cinema Drama
Sky Cinema Family
Sky Cinema Greats
Sky Cinema Premiere [also +1hr]
Sky Crime
Sky Intro (unencrypted)
Sky One Ireland
Sky Sports Premier League Ireland
Sky Channel Line-up

Tp14 11.973 GHz V 31000 9/10 DVB-S2:

The Explorers UHD

Tp16 12.012 GHz V 27500 2/3 DVB-S2 (encrypted in VideoGuard):

Fox UK HD
Sky Nature HD
Sky News UK HD
Sky Sports Football UK HD
Sky Sports Golf UK HD
Sky Sports Main Event UK HD
Sky Sports News UK HD
Sky Sports Premier League Ireland HD

Tp19 12.070 GHz H 27500 5/6 (encrypted in VideoGuard):

Movies 24
Movies 24+
Pick UK [also +1hr] (unencrypted)
Sky Arts (unencrypted)
Sky News UK (unencrypted)
Sky Sports Active 1-9
Vice UK
Virgin Media One +1hr
Virgin Media Two
Sky News Radio

Tp20 12.090 GHz V 27500 2/3 DVB-S2 (encrypted in VideoGuard):

Sky Comedy UK HD
Sky Crime HD
Sky News Ireland HD
Sky Sports Action HD
Sky Sports F1 HD
Sky Sports News Ireland HD
Sky Sports NFL HD
Sky Sports Mix HD

Tp34 12.363 GHz V 27500 2/3 DVB-S2 (encrypted in VideoGuard):

Alibi UK HD
Gold UK HD
ITV London HD (unencrypted)
ITV Meridian East HD (unencrypted)
Nickelodeon UK HD
STV East HD

Tp38 12.441 GHz V 29500 8/9 DVB-S2:

Astra promo HD
SES Ultra HD Demo

References[]

^ "ASTRA 2E". N2YO.com. Retrieved 8 April 2021.
^ "ASTRA 2E successfully launched" (Press release). SES. 30 September 2013. Retrieved 30 September 2013.
^ Astra 2E Footprints SES Accessed 17 September 2018
^ "Astra 2E at Real Time Satellite Tracking And Predictions". Retrieved 30 December 2013.
^ "SES's ASTRA 2E SATELLITE GOES LIVE at 28.2/28.5 DEGREES EAST OVER EMEA" (Press release). SES. 31 January 2014. Retrieved 27 February 2014.
^ Changes to BBC satellite transponders in 2013 12 December 2012 BBC Distribution blog Accessed 16 July 2013
^ "SES Orders Four New Satellites From ASTRIUM" (Press release). SES. 30 November 2009. Retrieved 28 August 2012.
^ "SES SUCCESSFULLY LAUNCHES ASTRA 2F SATELLITE" (Press release). SES. 1 October 2012. Retrieved 1 October 2012.
^ "ASTRA 2G SATELLITE ROARS INTO ORBIT" (Press release). SES. 28 November 2014. Retrieved 1 January 2015.
^ ASTRA 2F arrives at the Guiana Space Centre, Kourou August 23, 2012 SES blog Accessed August 26, 2012
^ Jump up to: ^a ^b Astra 2E factsheet on www.ses.com Accessed October 30, 2013
^ Jump up to: ^a ^b Ten things about ASTRA 2E Archived 2013-07-22 at the Wayback Machine 1 July 2013 SES blog Accessed 16 July 2013
^ Bains, Geoff "Flight of the Big Birds" What Satellite & Digital TV February 2012 pp.29
^ "SES' ASTRA 2E SATELLITE SHIPPED TO BAIKONUR COSMODROME FOR JULY 21 LAUNCH" (Press release). SES. 16 June 2013. Retrieved 16 July 2013.
^ "Launch Log". Jonathan's Space Report. 14 March 2021. Retrieved 10 April 2021.
^ Incorrect installation of angular rate sensors behind July 2 Proton-M crash commission findings 18 July 2013 Interfax Accessed September 30, 2013
^ "Astra 2E at 28.2°E". LyngSat. Retrieved 24 February 2021.

External links[]

[n2yo-1] "ASTRA 2E". N2YO.com. Retrieved 8 April 2021.

[2] "ASTRA 2E successfully launched" (Press release). SES. 30 September 2013. Retrieved 30 September 2013.

[3] Astra 2E Footprints SES Accessed 17 September 2018

[4] "Astra 2E at Real Time Satellite Tracking And Predictions". Retrieved 30 December 2013.

[5] "SES's ASTRA 2E SATELLITE GOES LIVE at 28.2/28.5 DEGREES EAST OVER EMEA" (Press release). SES. 31 January 2014. Retrieved 27 February 2014.

[6] Changes to BBC satellite transponders in 2013 12 December 2012 BBC Distribution blog Accessed 16 July 2013

[7] "SES Orders Four New Satellites From ASTRIUM" (Press release). SES. 30 November 2009. Retrieved 28 August 2012.

[8] "SES SUCCESSFULLY LAUNCHES ASTRA 2F SATELLITE" (Press release). SES. 1 October 2012. Retrieved 1 October 2012.

[9] "ASTRA 2G SATELLITE ROARS INTO ORBIT" (Press release). SES. 28 November 2014. Retrieved 1 January 2015.

[10] ASTRA 2F arrives at the Guiana Space Centre, Kourou August 23, 2012 SES blog Accessed August 26, 2012

[factsheet-11] Jump up to: ^a ^b Astra 2E factsheet on www.ses.com Accessed October 30, 2013

[tenthings-12] Jump up to: ^a ^b Ten things about ASTRA 2E Archived 2013-07-22 at the Wayback Machine 1 July 2013 SES blog Accessed 16 July 2013

[13] Bains, Geoff "Flight of the Big Birds" What Satellite & Digital TV February 2012 pp.29

[14] "SES' ASTRA 2E SATELLITE SHIPPED TO BAIKONUR COSMODROME FOR JULY 21 LAUNCH" (Press release). SES. 16 June 2013. Retrieved 16 July 2013.

[Lainch_Log-15] "Launch Log". Jonathan's Space Report. 14 March 2021. Retrieved 10 April 2021.

[16] Incorrect installation of angular rate sensors behind July 2 Proton-M crash commission findings 18 July 2013 Interfax Accessed September 30, 2013

[17] "Astra 2E at 28.2°E". LyngSat. Retrieved 24 February 2021.

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show v t Satellites operated by SES S.A.
SES fleet	Active: SES-1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 (EchoStar 105) 12 14 15 16 (GovSat-1) Planned: SES-17
AMC fleet	Active: AMC-4 6 8 10 11 15 16 18 21 Backups: AMC-7 Retired: AMC-1 2 3 5 9 Failed launch: AMC-14
NSS fleet	Active: NSS-6 7 9 11 806 Retired: NSS-5 513 703 Failed launch: NSS-8
Astra fleet	Active: Astra 1KR 1L 1M 1N 2E 2F 2G 3B 4A 5B Backups: Astra 1D 1F 1G 1H 2A 2B 2C 2D 3A Retired: Astra 1A 1B 1C 1E 5A Sirius 3 Failed launch: Astra 1K Orbital positions: 5.0°E 19.2°E 23.5°E 28.2°E 31.5°E Subsidiary: SES Astra
Third parties	Active: Ciel-2 MonacoSAT QuetzSat 1 Yahsat 1A

show v t ← 2012 · Orbital launches in 2013 · 2014 →
January	Kosmos 2482 · Kosmos 2483 · Kosmos 2484 – JSE Reda 4 · Jissho Eisei – STSAT-2C – TDRS-11
February	Intelsat 27 – Globalstar M078, M087, M093, M094, M095, M096 – Azerspace-1/Africasat-1a · Amazonas 3 – Progress M-18M – Landsat 8 – SARAL · Sapphire · NEOSSat · UniBRITE-1 · TUGSAT-1 · AAUSAT3 · STRaND-1
March	SpaceX CRS-2 – USA-241 – Satmex 8 – Soyuz TMA-08M
April	– Bion-M No.1 ( · · · · Dove-2 · OSSI-1) – Cygnus Mass Simulator · Dove 1 · Alexander · Graham · Bell – Progress M-19M – Gaofen 1 · TurkSat-3USat · NEE-01 Pegaso · – Kosmos 2485
May	– PROBA-V · VNREDSat-1 · ESTCube-1 – Eutelsat 3D – USA-242 – USA-243 – Soyuz TMA-09M
June	SES-6 – Albert Einstein ATV – – Shenzhou 10 – Resurs-P No.1 – O3b × 4 (PFM, FM2, FM4, FM5) – Kosmos 2487 – IRIS
July	IRNSS-1A – Uragan-M 48, 49, 50 – – MUOS-2 – · · – Inmarsat-4A F4 · INSAT-3D – Progress M-20M
August	Kounotori 4 ( · ArduSat-1 · ArduSat-X · PicoDragon) – USA-244 – – USA-245 – Eutelsat 25B / Es'hail 1 · GSAT-7 / INSAT-4F – Amos-4
September	A, B, C – LADEE – Gonets-M No.5 · Gonets-M No.6 · Gonets-M No.7 – Hisaki – USA-246 – Cygnus Orb-D1 – – Kuaizhou-1 – Soyuz TMA-10M – CASSIOPE · CUSat · 1, 2, 3 · DANDE – Astra 2E
October	– –
November	Mars Orbiter Mission – Soyuz TMA-11M – – MAVEN – · · · · · · · · · · · · · 1, 2 · PhoneSat 2.4 · × 8 · A, B · · TJ³Sat · · Vermont Lunar CubeSat – – DubaiSat-2 · · · ( · ICube-1 · · () · · $50SAT · · ) · AprizeSat 7, 8 · Lem · · · · Delfi-n3Xt · · · FUNcube-1 · · · · NEE-02 Krysaor · OPTOS · · · · ZACUBE-1 · – Swarm A, B, C – – Progress M-21M
December	Chang'e 3 (Yutu) – SES-8 – USA-247 · · 5A, 5B · · A, B · · · 2.3, 2.4 · · TacSat-6 – Inmarsat-5 F1 – CBERS-3 – Gaia – Túpac Katari 1 – · · – Ekspress AM5 – Aist 1 · 1, 2
Launches are separated by dashes ( – ), payloads by dots ( · ). Crewed flights are bolded. Launch failures are in italics. Payloads deployed from other spacecraft are (enclosed in brackets).