NEXT SPACEFLIGHT

Status

Success

Astra 1E

Launch Time
Thu Oct 19, 1995 00:38 UTC

Flight V79.

Rocket

Ariane 42L
Image Credit: Arianespace
Arianespace
Status: Retired
Liftoff Thrust: 4,538 kN
Payload to GTO: 3,480 kg
Stages: 3
Strap-ons: 2
Rocket Height: 58.72 m

Mission Details

Astra 1E

Astra 1E is one of the Astra communications satellites in geostationary orbit owned and operated by SES. It was launched in 1995 to the Astra 19.2°E orbital slot initially to provide digital television and radio for DTH across Europe.

Astra 1E was the first Astra satellite to be dedicated to digital TV broadcasting and it carried many of the first digital TV channels from networks broadcasting to France, Germany, and other European countries in the 1990s.

The satellite originally provided two broadcast beams, of horizontal and vertical polarisation, for FSS (10.70-10.95 GHz) and for BSS (11.70-12.10 GHz) frequency bands. The FSS beams provide footprints that cover essentially the same area of Europe – northern, central, and eastern Europe, including Spain and northern Italy – while the BSS horizontal beam excludes Spain and extends further east, and the BSS vertical beam includes Spain and more of southern Italy but does not extend so far east. Within the footprints, TV signals are usually received with a 60–80 cm dish.

Payloads: 1
Total Mass: 3,014.0 kg
Geostationary Transfer Orbit

Location

ELA-2, Guiana Space Centre, French Guiana, France

Stats

1995

60th orbital launch attempt

Arianespace

70th mission
9th mission of 1995
65th successful mission
9th consecutive successful mission

Ariane 4

51st mission
9th mission of 1995
48th successful mission
9th consecutive successful mission