Astra 1M
Astra 1M is a geostationary communications satellite which is operated by SES. It is positioned in geostationary orbit at a longitude of 19.2° East, from where it is used to provide direct to home (DTH) broadcasting to Europe, Africa, and the Middle East.
| Mission type | Communications |
|---|---|
| Operator | SES Astra / SES S.A. |
| COSPAR ID | 2008-057A |
| SATCAT no. | 33436 |
| Website | https://www.ses.com |
| Mission duration | 15 years (planned) 13 years, 5 months, 10 days (elapsed) |
| Spacecraft properties | |
| Spacecraft type | Eurostar |
| Bus | Eurostar 3000S |
| Manufacturer | Astrium (now Airbus Defence and Space) |
| Launch mass | 5,320 kg (11,730 lb) |
| Power | 10 kW |
| Start of mission | |
| Launch date | 5 November 2008, 20:44:20 UTC |
| Rocket | Proton-M / Briz-M |
| Launch site | Baikonur, Site 200/39 |
| Contractor | Khrunichev State Research and Production Space Center |
| Entered service | January 2009 |
| Orbital parameters | |
| Reference system | Geocentric orbit |
| Regime | Geostationary orbit |
| Longitude | 19.2° East |
| Transponders | |
| Band | 36 Ku-band |
| Bandwidth | 26 MHz 33 MHz |
| Coverage area | Europe, Africa, Middle East |
Satellite description
Astra 1M was built by Astrium (now Airbus Defence and Space) under a contract signed in July 2005, and is based on the Eurostar 3000S satellite bus. It is equipped with thirty six transponders operating in the J-band of the NATO-defined spectrum, or the Ku-band of the older IEEE-defined spectrum. At launch it had a mass of 5,320 kg (11,730 lb),[1] with an expected operational lifespan of 15 years,[2] however four of its transponders were deactivated five years after launch.[3] At the beginning of its operational life, it had a maximum power consumption of 10 kilowatts by the end of the satellite's operational life.[3]
Launch
The launch of Astra 1M was conducted by International Launch Services (ILS), using a Proton-M launch vehicle with a Briz-M upper stage. The launch occurred from Site 200/39 at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, at 20:44:20 UTC on 5 November 2008.[4] Astra 1M was successfully placed into a geostationary transfer orbit (GTO), from which it raised itself to geostationary orbit by means of an onboard apogee motor.
See also
- 2008 in spaceflight
- SES satellite operator
- Astra satellite family
References
- "Astra 1M". SES Astra. Retrieved 10 April 2021.
- "UCS Satellite Database". Union of Concerned Scientists. 1 April 2010. Archived from the original on June 2010. Retrieved 31 May 2010.
- "Astra 1M". Gunter's Space Page. 11 December 2017. Retrieved 10 April 2021.
- McDowell, Jonathan (14 March 2021). "Launch Log". Jonathan's Space Report. Retrieved 10 April 2021.
External links
- IMS Official provider's site