| Mission type | Communications |
|---|---|
| Operator | SES |
| COSPAR ID | 2008-057A |
| SATCATno. | 33436 |
| Website | https://www.ses.com |
| Mission duration | 15 years (planned) 16 years, 4 months, 10 days (elapsed) |
| Spacecraft properties | |
| Spacecraft type | Eurostar |
| Bus | Eurostar 3000S |
| Manufacturer | Astrium (nowAirbus Defence and Space) |
| Launch mass | 5,320 kg (11,730 lb) |
| Power | 10kW |
| Start of mission | |
| Launch date | 5 November 2008, 20:44:20UTC |
| 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 | 36Ku-band |
| Bandwidth | 26MHz 33 MHz |
| Coverage area | Europe, Africa,Middle East |
Astra 1M is a geostationarycommunications satellite which is operated bySES. It is positioned ingeostationary orbit at alongitude of19.2° East, from where it is used to providedirect to home (DTH) broadcasting to Europe,Africa, and theMiddle East.
Astra 1M was built byAstrium (nowAirbus Defence and Space) under a contract signed in July 2005, and is based on theEurostar 3000Ssatellite bus. It is equipped with thirty sixtransponders operating in theJ-band of the NATO-defined spectrum, or theKu-band of the olderIEEE-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]
The launch of Astra 1M was conducted byInternational Launch Services (ILS), using aProton-Mlaunch vehicle with aBriz-M upper stage. The launch occurred fromSite 200/39 at theBaikonur Cosmodrome inKazakhstan, at 20:44:20UTC on 5 November 2008.[4] Astra 1M was successfully placed into ageostationary transfer orbit (GTO), from which it raised itself to geostationary orbit by means of an onboardapogee motor.
