| Mission type | Communications |
|---|---|
| Operator | SES |
| COSPAR ID | 2001-025A |
| SATCATno. | 26853 |
| Website | https://www.ses.com/ |
| Mission duration | 15 years (planned) Final: 26 years and 6 months |
| Spacecraft properties | |
| Spacecraft type | Boeing 601 |
| Bus | BSS 601 HP |
| Manufacturer | Boeing Satellite Systems |
| Launch mass | 3,643 kg (8,031 lb) |
| Power | 7.0kW |
| Start of mission | |
| Launch date | 16 June 2001, 01:49:00UTC |
| Rocket | Proton-K /DM-03 |
| Launch site | Baikonur,Site 81/23 |
| Contractor | Khrunichev State Research and Production Space Center |
| Entered service | August 2001 |
| End of mission | |
| Disposal | Graveyard orbit |
| Deactivated | June 2024 |
| Orbital parameters | |
| Reference system | Geocentric orbit[1] |
| Regime | Geostationary orbit |
| Longitude | Astra 19.2°E (2001–2007) Astra 28.2°E (2007–2009) Astra 31.5°E (2009–2010) Astra 19.2°E (2010–2014) Astra 28.2°E (2014–2015) 60.5° East (2015–2018) Astra 23.5°E (2018-2021) 72.5°W (2021-2024) |
| Transponders | |
| Band | 32Ku-band |
| Bandwidth | 33MHz |
| Coverage area | Europe |
Astra 2C is one of theAstracommunications satellites owned and operated bySES. Designed to joinAstra 2A andAstra 2B at theAstra 28.2°E orbital position providingdigital television andradio broadcast services to the United Kingdom and Ireland, the satellite was first used after launch in 2001 at19.2° East for pan-European coverage.
The satellite provides one broadcast beam with horizontal and verticalpolarisation, across a singlefootprint covering the areas ofCentral andEastern Europe,Scandinavia, theIberian Peninsula andCanary Islands.[2]
TV signals can be received with a 50 cm dish across the majority of theBritish Isles with a 60 cm dish required in the extreme north and west. Astra 2C can also provide backup capacity, substituting for one or more transponders across the 10.70-12.20 GHz broadcast range used by Astra satellites in theAstra 19.2°E andAstra 28.2°E orbital positions.
Although originally intended for Astra 28.2° East, the satellite has spent little of its life in that orbital position, stationed at Astra 19.2° East andAstra 31.5°E for some 11 years for pan-European coverage. Positioned at 28.2° East for just 19 months from August 2007 and for 16 months from March 2014, Astra 2C was then moved to 60.5° East in August 2015[3] In April–May 2018, it was moved for the first time to theAstra 23.5°E slot.[4] In 2021, Astra 2C was moved to 72.5°W and in June 2024 it was retired to agraveyard orbit.[5]
Astra 2C was first positioned at 19.2° East after launch in 2001, to provide pan-European capacity at the primary Astra position pending the launch ofAstra 1L (in May 2007) and was moved to 28.2° East in August 2007, transmitting digital TV and interactive services forSky Digital andFreesat.[6] Only two transponders were active during this time.
The satellite was returned to 19.2° East in September 2010 whileAstra 1N, which was intended for positioning at Astra 19.2° East, was used at Astra 28.2° East. As of July 2012, there are 16 transponders active, in particular six for the SpanishCanal+ pay-TV platform and five forSky Deutschland.[7]
Astra 2C was returned to its originally intended position at Astra 28.2° East after the relocation ofAstra 1N from 28.2° East to 19.2° East in March 2014.
In March 2009, SES announced that in April 2009, Astra 2C was to be moved from 28.2° East toAstra 31.5°E to temporarily replace the failedAstra 5A untilAstra 3B was launched toAstra 23.5°E, when another craft currently there could be released to Astra 31.5° East.[8] The move of Astra 2C was started in early May 2009 and completed on 11 May 2009,[9] with the first transponders coming into use at the new position in the subsequent two weeks.
In June 2010, Astra 3B (launched May 2010) came into operation at Astra 23.5° East and Astra 1G was moved from that position to Astra 31.5° East, where it could release take over all broadcasting activity from Astra 2C. Astra 2C left 31.5° East in September 2010.
