Astra 2F

Astra 2F
Names	Eutelsat 28E
Mission type	Communications
Operator	SES S.A.
COSPAR ID	2012-051A
SATCAT no.	38778
Website	https://www.ses.com/
Mission duration	15 years (planned); 8 years, 11 months, 3 days (elapsed)
Spacecraft properties
Spacecraft type	Eurostar
Bus	Eurostar-3000
Manufacturer	Astrium; (now Airbus Defence and Space)
Launch mass	5,968 kg (13,157 lb)
Start of mission
Launch date	28 September 2012,; 21:18:07 UTC
Rocket	Ariane 5ECA (VA209)
Launch site	Centre Spatial Guyanais, ELA-3
Contractor	Arianespace
Entered service	21 November 2012
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
	Astra constellation ← Astra 4B Astra 2E →

Astra 2F is one of the Astra communications satellites owned and operated by SES S.A., launched in September 2012 to the Astra 28.2°E orbital position.^[2] The satellite provides free-to-air and encrypted direct-to-home (DTH) digital television and satellite broadband services for Europe and Africa.

Astra 2F is the first of three "second generation" satellites for the 28.2° East position which replace the first generation Astra 2A, Astra 2B and Astra 2D satellite previously there.^[3] The second, Astra 2E, was launched in 2013,^[4] and the third, Astra 2G, was launched in 2014,^[5] (launched on 27 December 2014,^[6]). Some parts of the construction of Astra 2F by Astrium (now Airbus Defence and Space) in Stevenage, United Kingdom could be seen in the BBC2 documentary programme, How To Build... A Satellite broadcast on 27 November 2011.

Astra 2F was successfully launched from Kourou in French Guiana on 28 September 2012, at 21:18:07 UTC by an Ariane 5ECA launch vehicle from Centre Spatial Guyanais.^[7] and underwent in-orbit testing at 43.5° East.^[8] Commercial operations at 28.2° East began on 21 November 2012.^[9]

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 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 Internet Protocol television (IPTV) homes in the United Kingdom and Ireland, in particular for channels from the major UK digital satellite television satellite bus, BSkyB and Freesat.^[10]

In addition, Astra 2F serves the growing direct-to-home (DTH) platforms in West Africa such as Multi TV of Ghana.

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 20 Mbit/s) along with Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP), and Internet Protocol television (IPTV) from November 2012.

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 United Kingdom, Ireland, France, Benelux, and parts of Germany, Austria, and Spain (including a "lobe" specifically designed to serve the Canary Islands which officially requires a 120 cm dish but in practise is easily receivable using a 90 cm dish as with Astra 2E), and reception on a 1 m dish extending to North Africa, Poland and the Balkans.

The UK Beam provides maximum signal (40 cm dishes) over the United Kingdom, Ireland, Benelux and Northern France in close approximation of the UK Beam of Astra 2D, which it replaces.^[11] 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° East on the geostationary arc is not directly in line with the United Kingdom 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 the Congo.^[12]

The Ka-band footprint for satellite broadband provides full service coverage across western Europe from the United Kingdom and France in the west to the Czech Republic, Austria, Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina in the east.^[13]

Active transponders[]

Below is a list of the TV channels broadcast to Europe from active transponders on Astra 2F as of January 2021:^[14]

In the list, 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

Tp109 11.306 GHz H 27500 5/6 (encrypted in Videoguard):

BT Sport Extra 1-6
BT Sport mosaic

Tp110 11.306 GHz V 27500 5/6:

Pop [also +1hr]
Pop Max [also +1hr]
Sony Channel UK [also +1hr]
Sony Movies [also +1hr]
Sony Movies Action [also +1hr]
Sony Movies Classic [also +1hr]
Tiny Pop [also +1hr]

Tp111 11.344 GHz H 27500 5/6:

BT Sport 2 (encrypted in VideoGuard)
BT Sport ESPN (encrypted in VideoGuard)
HGTV UK [also +1hr]
PBS America
Really UK
Really Ireland
TLC UK HD (encrypted in VideoGuard)
Trace Vault

Tp112 11.344 GHz V 27500 5/6:

BT Sport 1 (encrypted in VideoGuard)
BT Sport 3 (encrypted in VideoGuard)
BT Sport Mosaic (encrypted in VideoGuard)
CBS Drama Ireland
CBS Drama UK
CBS Justice Ireland
CBS Justice UK
CBS Reality Ireland
CBS Reality UK [also +1hr]
Horror Channel UK [also +1hr]
S4C
Trace Hits

European Beam

Tp21 12.110 GHz H 27500 2/3 DVB-S2 (encrypted in VideoGuard):

Dave UK HD
E! UK HD
National Geographic UK HD
Sky Cinema Animation HD
Sky History 2 HD
Sony Max UK HD
Syfy UK HD
TG 4 HD

Tp22 12.129 GHz V 27500 5/6:

Alibi UK [also +1hr] (encrypted in VideoGuard)
Dave UK
Dave Ireland
Dave ja vu
Drama Ireland
Drama UK [also +1hr]
Eden [also +1hr] (encrypted in VideoGuard)
GOLD UK [also +1hr] (encrypted in VideoGuard)
W UK [also +1hr] (encrypted in VideoGuard)
Yesterday [also +1hr]

Tp23 12.148 GHz H 27500 5/6 (encrypted in VideoGuard):

British Eurosport 1
British Eurosport 2
Fox UK +1hr
Pick Ireland (unencrypted)
Sky Atlantic Ireland
Sky Atlantic UK [also +1hr]
Sky Comedy Ireland
Sky News Arabia (unencrypted)
Sky Sports Box Office
Sky Sports Cricket
Sky Sports Football UK
Sky Sports Golf Ireland
Sky Sports Golf UK
Sky Sports Main Event Ireland
Sky Sports News Ireland
Sky Sports News UK
Sky Witness UK +1hr

Tp24 12.168 GHz V 27500 2/3 DVB-S2 (encrypted in VideoGuard):

Cartoon Network UK HD
ITV Central West (unencrypted)
Sky Cinema Family HD
Sky Cinema Premiere HD
Sky Cinema Select HD
Sky Cinema Thriller HD
STV North HD
STV Tayside HD

Tp25 12.188 GHz H 27500 2/3 DVB-S2 (encrypted in VideoGuard):

LFC TV HD
Premier Sports 1 HD
Premier Sports 2 HD
Sky Arts HD
Sky Atlantic UK HD
Sky One UK HD
Sky Sports Racing HD
Sky Witness UK HD

Tp26 12.207 GHz V 27500 5/6 (encrypted in VideoGuard):

E! Ireland
Fox UK
Sky Comedy UK
Sky Documentaries
Sky Nature
Sky News Ireland (unencrypted)
Sky One UK [also +1hr]
Sky Sports Arena
Sky Sports F1
Sky Sports Football Ireland
Sky Sports Main Event UK
Sky Sports Mix
Sky Sports NFL
Sky Sports Premier League UK
Sky Witness Ireland
Virgin Media One
Virgin Media Three

Tp27 12.226 GHz H 27500 2/3 DVB-S2 (encrypted in VideoGuard):

Crime + Investigation UK HD
National Geographic Wild UK HD
SET Asia HD
Sky Cinema Action HD
Sky History HD
RTÉ One HD
RTÉ 2 HD
Utsav Plus HD

Tp28 12.246 GHz V 27500 2/3 DVB-S2 (encrypted in VideoGuard):

Sky UHD 3

Tp29 12.266 GHz H 27500 2/3 DVB-S2 (encrypted in VideoGuard):

Discovery Channel UK HD
Film 4 UK HD
More 4 UK HD
MUTV HD
Prime Video HD
Sky Cinema Hits HD
Sky Sports Main Event in Pubs HD
Sky Sports News in Pubs HD
Sky Sports Premier League UK HD

Tp30 12.285 GHz V 27500 2/3 DVB-S2 (encrypted in VideoGuard):

Boomerang UK HD
CNBC UK HD (unencrypted)
Sky Cinema Comedy HD
Sky Cinema Drama HD
Sky Cinema Greats HD
Sky Cinema Sci-fi Horror HD
W UK HD

Tp32 12.324 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

Tp35 12.382 GHz H 27500 5/6:

Animal Planet UK (encrypted in VideoGuard)
Discovery Channel UK (encrypted in VideoGuard)
Discovery History (encrypted in VideoGuard)
Discovery Science UK (encrypted in VideoGuard)
Discovery Turbo UK (encrypted in VideoGuard)
DMAX UK [also +1hr]
Food Network UK [also +1hr]
Food Network Ireland
Quest Ireland
Quest UK [also +1hr]
Quest Red [also +1hr]

References[]

^ "ASTRA 2F". N2YO.com. Retrieved 10 April 2021.
^ "SES SUCCESSFULLY LAUNCHES ASTRA 2F SATELLITE" (Press release). SES. 1 October 2012. Retrieved 1 October 2012.
^ Bains, Geoff "The Good Die Young" What Satellite & Digital TV Summer 2012 pp.29
^ "ASTRA 2E successfully launched" (Press release). SES. 30 September 2013. Retrieved 31 December 2013.
^ "SES Orders Four New Satellites From ASTRIUM" (Press release). SES. 30 November 2009. Retrieved 28 August 2012.
^ "Astra 2G Satellite Roars Into Orbit" (Press release). SES. 28 November 2014. Retrieved 1 January 2015.
^ "SES SUCCESSFULLY LAUNCHES ASTRA 2F SATELLITE" (Press release). SES. 1 October 2012. Retrieved 27 December 2012.
^ "Astra 2F Testing Reception Reports". Satellites.co.uk. Retrieved 27 December 2012.
^ "SES' ASTRA 2F SATELLITE STARTS OPERATIONS" (Press release). SES. 21 November 2012. Retrieved 27 December 2012.
^ ASTRA 2F arrives at the Guiana Space Centre, Kourou 23 August 2012 SES blog Accessed 26 August 2012
^ Bains, Geoff. "Flight of the Big Birds" What Satellite & Digital TV February 2012 pp.29
^ Astra 2F footprints & coverages on satelaunch.net Accessed 29 August 2012
^ Bains, Geoff "The Astra 2F Bonus" What Satellite & Digital TV June 2012 pp.29
^ "Astra 2F at 28.2°E". LyngSat. Retrieved 29 January 2021.

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

[N2YO-1] "ASTRA 2F". N2YO.com. Retrieved 10 April 2021.

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

[3] Bains, Geoff "The Good Die Young" What Satellite & Digital TV Summer 2012 pp.29

[4] "ASTRA 2E successfully launched" (Press release). SES. 30 September 2013. Retrieved 31 December 2013.

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

[6] "Astra 2G Satellite Roars Into Orbit" (Press release). SES. 28 November 2014. Retrieved 1 January 2015.

[7] "SES SUCCESSFULLY LAUNCHES ASTRA 2F SATELLITE" (Press release). SES. 1 October 2012. Retrieved 27 December 2012.

[8] "Astra 2F Testing Reception Reports". Satellites.co.uk. Retrieved 27 December 2012.

[9] "SES' ASTRA 2F SATELLITE STARTS OPERATIONS" (Press release). SES. 21 November 2012. Retrieved 27 December 2012.

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

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

[12] Astra 2F footprints & coverages on satelaunch.net Accessed 29 August 2012

[13] Bains, Geoff "The Astra 2F Bonus" What Satellite & Digital TV June 2012 pp.29

[14] "Astra 2F at 28.2°E". LyngSat. Retrieved 29 January 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