Astra 2F

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

Astra 2F
Mission typeCommunications
OperatorSES
COSPAR ID2012-051A
SATCAT no.38778
Mission duration15 years
Spacecraft properties
BusEurostar E3000
ManufacturerAstrium
(now Airbus Defence and Space)
Start of mission
Launch dateSeptember 28, 2012, 21:18:07 (2012-09-28UTC21:18:07Z) UTC
RocketAriane 5 ECA V209
Launch siteKourou ELA-3
ContractorArianespace
Orbital parameters
Reference systemGeocentric
RegimeGeostationary
Longitude43.5°E (2012, testing)
28.2° East (2012-)
SlotAstra 28.2°E
Perigee altitude35,778 kilometres (22,231 mi)[1]
Apogee altitude35,805 kilometres (22,248 mi)[1]
Inclination0.02 degrees[1]
Period1436.05 minutes[1]
Epoch22 January 2015, 22:20:58 UTC[1]
 

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

Astra 2F was successfully launched from Kourou in French Guiana on September 28, 2012.[7] and underwent in-orbit testing at 43.5°E.[8] Commercial operations at 28.2°E began on November 21, 2012.[9]

Market

The Astra 28.2°E position was established in 1998 to provide digital TV, digital radio and multimedia services to the UK and Republic of 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 IPTV homes in the UK and Ireland, in particular for channels from the major UK digital satellite TV platforms, BSkyB and Freesat.[10]

In addition, Astra 2F serves the growing DTH platforms in West Africa such as Ghana's MultiTV.

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 20Mbit/s) along with VoIP, and 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 UK, 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 1m dish extending to North Africa, Poland and the Balkans.

The UK Spot beam provides maximum signal (40 cm dishes) over the UK, 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°E on the geostationary arc is not directly in line with the UK but offset to the east.

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 Congo.[12]

The Ka-band footprint for satellite broadband provides full service coverage across western Europe from the UK and France in the west to Czech Republic, Austria, Croatia and Boznia 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 February 2020:[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 Crime Channel
  • 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:

  • Box Nation (encrypted in Videoguard)
  • BT Sport 2 (encrypted in Videoguard)
  • BT Sport ESPN (encrypted in Videoguard)
  • HGTV UK [also +1hr]
  • PBS America
  • Really UK
  • Really Ireland
  • Trace Urban UK
  • Trace Latina UK
  • 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
  • CBS Justice Ireland
  • CBS Justice UK
  • CBS Reality Ireland
  • CBS Reality UK [also +1hr]
  • Horror Channel UK [also +1hr]
  • S4C
  • Starz

European Beam

Tp1 11.720 GHz H 27500 2/3 DVB-S2:

  • Animal Planet UK HD
  • Boomerang UK HD
  • Sky Cinema Comedy HD
  • Sky Cinema Disney HD
  • Sky Cinema Drama & Romance HD
  • Sky Cinema Greats HD
  • Sky Cinema Sci-Fi & Horror HD
  • TLC UK HD
  • W UK HD

Tp21 12.110 GHz H 27500 5/6 (encrypted in Videoguard):

  • E! Ireland
  • Fox UK
  • Sky 1 UK [also +1hr]
  • Sky Arts
  • Sky Comedy UK
  • Sky Cinema Hits
  • Sky Sports Action
  • Sky Sports Arena Ireland
  • Sky Sports Arena UK
  • Sky Sports F1
  • Sky Sports Main Event UK
  • Sky Sports Premier League
  • Sky Witness Ireland [also +1hr]
  • Virgin Media One

Tp22 12.129 GHz V 27500 5/6 (encrypted in Videoguard):

  • Alibi UK [also +1hr]
  • Dave UK (unencrypted)
  • Dave Ireland
  • Dave ja vu
  • Drama Ireland (unencrypted)
  • Drama UK [also +1hr] (unencrypted)
  • Eden [also +1hr]
  • GOLD UK [also +1hr]
  • W UK [also +1hr]
  • Yesterday (unencrypted)
  • Yesterday +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 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
  • CNBC UK HD (unencrypted)
  • Disney Channel UK HD
  • Sky Cinema Crime & Thriller HD
  • Sky Cinema Family HD
  • Sky Cinema Premiere HD
  • Sky Cinema Select HD
  • STV North HD
  • STV Tayside HD

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

  • BT Sport Box Office 2 Ireland HD
  • Discovery Channel UK HD
  • Fox UK HD
  • Sky Arts HD
  • Sky Atlantic UK HD
  • Sky Cinema Hits HD
  • Sky News UK HD
  • Sky One UK HD
  • Sky Sports Box Office HD
  • Sky Witness UK HD

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

  • Pick UK [also +1hr] (unencrypted)
  • Lifetime UK
  • Sky News Ireland (unencrypted)
  • Sky News UK (unencrypted)
  • Sky One Ireland
  • Sky Sports Cricket
  • Sky Sports Football Ireland
  • Sky Sports Mix
  • Sky Sports Premier League Ireland
  • Sky Two Ireland
  • Sky Two UK
  • Sky Witness UK
  • Together (unencrypted)
  • Virgin Media Three

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

  • Premier Sports 1 HD
  • Premier Sports 2 HD
  • Sky Comedy UK HD
  • Sky Crime HD
  • Virgin Media One HD
  • Virgin Media Two HD

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

  • Crime & Investigation UK HD
  • Disney Junior UK
  • History HD
  • Nat Geo Wild UK HD
  • RTÉ One HD
  • RTÉ 2 HD
  • SET Asia HD
  • Sky Cinema Action & Adventure HD
  • Star Plus UK HD

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

  • Film 4 UK HD
  • More 4 UK HD
  • MUTV 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):

  • Sky News Ireland HD
  • Sky Sports Action HD
  • Sky Sports Cricket HD
  • Sky Sports F1 HD
  • Sky Sports Mix HD
  • Sky Sports News Ireland HD

Tp32 12.324 GHz V 27500 2/3 DVB-S2 (encrypted in Videoguard):

  • Sky Intro HD (unencrypted)
  • Sky Sports Racing UK HD
  • Sky UHD 2

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]
  • Quest Ireland
  • Quest UK [also +1hr]
  • Quest Red [also +1hr]
  • TLC UK
  • Travel Channel UK

See also

References
  1. "ASTRA 2F Satellite details 2012-051A NORAD 38778". N2YO. 22 January 2015. Retrieved 25 January 2015.
  2. "SES SUCCESSFULLY LAUNCHES ASTRA 2F SATELLITE" (Press release). SES. October 1, 2012. Retrieved October 1, 2012.
  3. Bains, Geoff. "The Good Die Young" What Satellite & Digital TV Summer 2012 pp29
  4. "ASTRA 2E successfully launched" (Press release). SES. September 30, 2013. Retrieved December 31, 2013.
  5. "SES Orders Four New Satellites From ASTRIUM" (Press release). SES. 30 November 2009. Retrieved August 28, 2012.
  6. "Astra 2G Satellite Roars Into Orbit" (Press release). SES. November 28, 2014. Retrieved January 1, 2015.
  7. "SES SUCCESSFULLY LAUNCHES ASTRA 2F SATELLITE" (Press release). SES. October 1, 2012. Retrieved December 27, 2012.
  8. Astra 2F Testing Reception Reports, Satellites.co.uk, retrieved December 27, 2012
  9. "SES' ASTRA 2F SATELLITE STARTS OPERATIONS" (Press release). SES. November 21, 2012. Retrieved December 27, 2012.
  10. ASTRA 2F arrives at the Guiana Space Centre, Kourou August 23, 2012 SES blog. Accessed August 26, 2012
  11. Bains, Geoff. "Flight of the Big Birds" What Satellite & Digital TV February 2012 pp29
  12. Astra 2F footprints & coverages on satelaunch.net Accessed August 29, 2012
  13. Bains, Geoff. "The Astra 2F Bonus" What Satellite & Digital TV June 2012 pp29
  14. "Astra 2F at 28.2°E". LyngSat. Retrieved February 29, 2020.
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