SES Astra: Meaning (information, definition, explanation, facts)

SES-Astra (Société Européenne des Satellites-Astra) is a Luxembourg-based corporation which owns and operates the Astra series of geostationary satellites, which transmit some 1100 analogue and digital television and radio channels via 176 transponders to 91 million households across Europe.

Its slogan in 1997 was "Astra: The, Satellite System" or "The, Satellite System"

There are currently 13 Astra satellites in orbit, not all currently in service, located at the following positions in geosynchronous orbit:

• 5.2°E: Astra 1A (In inclined orbit, expected to go out of service soon)
• 19.2°E degrees east: Astra 1B, 1C, 1E, 1F, 1G, 1H, 2C
• 23.5°E and 24.2 degrees east: Astra 1D, 3A
• 28.2°E degrees east: Astra 2A, 2B, 2D

Each satellite contains a large number of transponders, each of which can be directed to have a "footprint" covering different countries. The footprints of where each transponder can be received by a dish of 50~60cm diameter is given below (note: "most" = covers more than 50% of a country, "part" = covers less than 50% of a country):

• Astra 1B, transponders 17, 21, 25, 29: B, NL, L, D, DK, UK, F, CH, part-I, CR, A.
• Astra 1B, transponders 23, 27: B, NL, L, D, CH, A, CR, DK, SLO, part-PL, I, S, N, UK.
• Astra 1B, transponder 28: B, NL, L, F, CH, DK, most-UK, part-I.
• Astra 1B, transponder 30: B, NL, L, D, CH, DK, A, SLO, UK, most-F, part-E, I, CR, N, S.
• Astra 1C, transponders 37, 41, 45: B, NL, L, F, D, CH, A, CR, UK, IRL, part-I, E, PL, S, N.
• Astra 1C, transponders 3, 15, 39, 43, 47: B, NL, L, F, D, CH, A, CR, UK, IRL, part-I, E, PL, S, N.
• Astra 1C, transponder 42: B, NL, L, F, UK, D, CH, A, CR, SLO, DK, most-E, part-P, I, PL, HR.
• Astra 1C, transponders 4, 12, 36, 44, 64: B, NL, L, F, D, DK, CH, A, CR, SLO, part-IRL, UK, PL, I.
• Astra 1E, transponder 78: B, NL, L, F, D, DK, CH, most-UK, E, I, A, CR, SLO, HR.
• Astra 1E, transponders 49, 53, 61: S, N, DK, D, PL, LT, F, B, NL, L, CH, A, CR, SK, PL, SLO, H, E, P, UK, most-IRL, SF, part-I, HR.
• Astra 1E, transponders 19, 31, 63: S, N, DK, D, PL, LT, F, B, NL, L, CH, A, CR, SK, PL, SLO, H, E, P, UK, most-IRL, SF, part-I, HR.
• Astra 1E, transponders 18, 22, 26, 38, 46: S, N, DK, D, PL, LT, F, B, NL, L, CH, A, CR, SK, PL, SLO, H, E, P, UK, most-IRL, SF, part-I, HR.
• Astra 1E, transponders 20, 24, 32, 60: S, N, DK, D, PL, LT, F, B, NL, L, CH, A, CR, SK, PL, SLO, H, E, P, UK, most-IRL, SF, part-I, HR.
• Astra 1F, transponders 67, 103: B, NL, L, D, CH, A, CR, SK, most-PL, part-F, UK, I, S, N.
• Astra 1F, transponders 65, 69, 81: B, NL, L, D, CH, A, CR, SK, most-PL, part-F, UK, I, S, N.
• Astra 1F, transponder 92: B, NL, L, D, CH, most-E, F, part-A, UK, I, CR.
• Astra 1F, transponder 102: B, NL, L, D, CH, most-UK, E, F, part-A, CR, I.
• Astra 1F, transponders 1, 5, 9, 13: B, NL, L, D, F, E, P, CH, A, UK, CR, SLO, SK, HR, PL, LV, H, most-N, S, IRL, BH, part-SF, I, R, YU.
• Astra 1F, transponders 7, 11: B, NL, L, D, F, CH, A, CR, SK, UK, SLO, H, PL, E, P, DK, most-S, N, part-IRL, I, HR, LV, LT, EE, SF.
• Astra 1F, transponders 2, 6, 10, 14: B, NL, L, D, DK, F, E, P, CH, A, CR, SK, SLO, PL, UK, most-IRL, S, N, part-H, HR, I.
• Astra 1F, transponders 8, 16: B, NL, L, D, F, UK, E, CH, A, CR, DK, SLO, most-H, P, HR, PL, S, N, part-I.
• Astra 1G: B, NL, L, D, F, CH, A, CR, HR, DK, most-E, I, BH, UK, PL, S, N, H, SLO, part-P.
• Astra 1H: B, NL, L, D, F, CH, A, CR, SLO, HR, DK, most-E, I, BH, UK, PL, S, N, H, SLO, part-P.
• Astra 2A, transponders 3, 4, 7, 8, 11, 12, 23, 24, 27, 28, 40: B, NL, L, D, A, CH, CR, DK, F, SLO, most-SK, PL, N, S, H, part-UK, IRL.
• Astra 2A, transponders 1, 2, 5, 6, 9, 10, 13, 18, 22, 37: B, NL, L, D, F, UK, IRL, CH, A, CR, I, E, part-PL, SLO, HR, BH.
• Astra 2B, transponders 15, 16, 19, 20, 31, 32, 35, 36, 39: B, NL, L, D, A, CH, CR, DK, F, SLO, most-SK, PL, N, S, H, part-UK, IRL.
• Astra 2B, transponders 12, 21, 25, 26, 29, 30, 33, 34, 38: B, NL, L, D, F, UK, IRL, CH, A, CR, I, E, part-PL, SLO, HR, BH.
• Astra 2C: B, NL, L, UK, IRL, F, E, P, CH, A, D, DK, N, S, PL, CR, SK, H, SLO, BH, I, EE, LV, LT, part-SF, YU, BEL.
• Astra 2D: UK, IRL, part-F.

Country codes used in this article

• A - Austria
• B - Belgium
• BEL - Belarus
• BH - Bosnia and Herzegovina
• CH - Switzerland
• CR - Czech Republic
• D - Germany
• DK - Denmark
• E - Spain
• EE - Estonia
• F - France
• H - Hungary
• HR - Croatia
• I - Italy
• IRL - Ireland
• L - Luxembourg
• LT - Lithuania
• LV - Latvia
• N - Norway
• NL - Netherlands
• P - Portugal
• PL - Poland
• R - Romania
• S - Sweden
• SF - Finland
• SK - Slovakia
• SLO - Slovenia
• UK - United Kingdom
• YU - Serbia and Montenegro