Astra 1A
| Astra 1A | |
|---|---|
| Start date | December 11, 1988, 12:33 UTC |
| Launcher | Ariane 44 LP V27 |
| Launch site | ELA-2 , Guyana Space Center |
| COSPAR-ID : | 1988-109B |
| Takeoff mass | 1800 kg |
| Manufacturer | RCA Astro Electronics |
| model | GE 4000 |
| lifespan | 12 years |
| operator | SES Global |
| Playback information | |
| Transponder | 16 Ku-band + 6 backup |
| Transponder performance | 45 watts |
| Bandwidth | 16 × 26 MHz |
| EIRP | 50 dBW |
| Others | |
| Electrical power | 2.6 kW |
| position | |
| First position | 19.2 ° East |
| Actual position | Cemetery orbit |
| List of geostationary satellites | |
Astra 1A is a disused Satellite of SES Astra , based in Betzdorf in Luxembourg . The satellite was used for the transmission of television programs in Europe.
history
In October 1985, the American RCA Astro Space Division (later GE Astrospace ) was commissioned by the Luxembourg investment company SES-Astra (now SES SA ) to produce a satellite with a focus on direct television reception . The start of the Astra 1A was planned for mid-1987. However, this deadline could not be met, the delivery took place only in March 1988. As the first Astra-1A customer signed Rupert Murdoch - against the then digitization efforts of the public service broadcasters - June 7, 1988 a license agreement for four analog PAL - Transponder . This was later seen as a decisive decision for the future and the success of SES-Astra, as there was a shortage of cheap digital satellite receivers at the time.
Astra 1A was launched into Earth orbit from the Center Spatial Guyanais in French Guiana in December 1988, with a one-day delay , and placed in geostationary orbit in the following weeks.
After the satellite reached its position on January 7, 1989 and successful transponder tests had been carried out on January 22 and 23, the first television program, FilmNet, was activated on February 1, 1989 . On February 5, 1989, he was followed by the television channels of the then Sky-Television (now BSkyB ) Sky One , Sky News and Sky Movies . Just two days later, the Scandinavian TV 3 and on February 10, 1989 MTV Europe were activated. In March of the same year, the sports channel , Lifestyle and The Children's Channel followed , the latter using a transponder in the timeshare process.
It was not until July 10, 1989 that another transponder was put into operation again with the activation of Eurosport . In addition, TV1000 started on August 27, 1989 and RTL 4 on September 1, 1989 - at that time still under the name RTL Veronique - their programs on Astra. The first German programs followed on December 8, 1989, Sat.1 , Pro 7 and RTLplus . 3sat occupied the last two transponders on March 30, 1990 and Teleclub on June 30, 1990. Since January 25, 1993, VOX has been using the transponder from the former Lifestyle, which ceased broadcasting at the beginning of 1993. The Children's Channel initially stayed on this transponder, but it finally switched to Astra 1B on July 12, 1993 - so initially only the home shopping channel Sell-A-Vision remained .
Since March 6, 1993, RTL II has been using the sports channel's transponder, which was incorporated into Eurosport in February of the same year. In January 1995, RTL 4 switched to Astra 1D , so that Super RTL has been able to carry out its first test broadcasts on this transponder since March 16, 1995 . Teleclub also changed transponders, so that on April 7, 1995, Kabel 1 , which was previously only available in encrypted form via Eutelsat II-F1 (13 ° East), could go on air. TV 3 Sweden and TV 1000 Astra 1A left in July 1996, and the transponders that had become free had been used since BSkyB, for example for Fox Kids , Sky Two (from September 1, 1996), Adult Channel and, from October 1, 1996, for the Granada programs Gold and Granada Men and Motors . At the end of 1996, FilmNet ended its broadcasting via Astra, and it wasn't until the end of July 1997 that the transponder was re-assigned to Bloomberg Germany . After BSkyB had gradually left the Astra position 19.2 ° East since 1998, RTL Shop , XXP (today DMAX ), and VIVA Zwei (later VIVA Plus ) were able to use the transponders that had become free.
From January 7, 1989 to the end of 2001, Astra 1A was at 19.2 ° East for the transmission of television programs. At the beginning of 2002 the satellite was moved to the position 5.2 ° East in an inclined orbit and used for broadcasts from December 2002. It has been switched off since December 10, 2004 and is in a cemetery orbit . Its successor is Astra 1F .
reception
In Europe, the satellite could be received with a 60 cm satellite antenna, especially in Belgium, Germany, France, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Austria, Switzerland, the Czech Republic, southern Great Britain and western Poland. The reception was also more difficult in Bosnia-Herzegovina, Ireland, Iceland, Italy, Croatia, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Sweden, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Hungary, in southern Estonia, in western Finland, in northern Serbia and in northern Spain possible.
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b Infosat edition 70/1994, article: Five years of satellite TV boom in Europe , p. 10 ff.
- ↑ Infosat edition 7/1996, article: Astra conquered Europe , p. 148 ff.
