Astra 1D
Encyclopedia
Astra 1D was the fourth, and under original plans, last communications satellite
from Société Européenne des Satellites (SES), now SES Astra
. It was launched to Astra's original solitary operational position at 19.2° east
, and was intended as an in-orbit spare for Astra's 1A
, 1B
and 1C
. However, demand for additional capacity for both British
and German
television channels, plus the extension of the receivable segment of the Ku band
by 250 MHz on most consumer equipment led to the satellite becoming regularly used, and the launch of a further four Astra satellites to the 19.2° east position.
When the satellite originally went on air, several of its transponders were used by British Sky Broadcasting
for new channels such as Granada Talk TV
. Since these channels used frequencies that were not available on the original Sky receivers due to being outside the original BSS band, Sky issued viewers with frequency shifters ("ADX Plus Channel Expanders"), comprising small boxes the size of a cigarette
packet with a single switch and an on/off LED
. When connected between the dish and the receiver (and powered by the receiver) these allowed viewers to switch manually between the Astra 1A and Astra 1D frequency bands - precisely 250 MHz.
position colocated with Astra 2A
, during mid-1998 and for most of 2000. In between these two periods, it returned to the Astra 19.2°E
position. During this time, some small numbers of transponders were used for regular service. After other Astra craft (Astra 2B
, Astra 2D
) either arrived or were ordered for the slot, it moved to 24.2° east where it spent almost two years carrying little more than test cards or feeds, until a move to 23° east (September 2003) and then 23.5° east
(November 2004) where Euro1080
began to use it as their main transmitting craft.
In November 2007, Astra 1D was replaced at the Astra 23.5°E
position by Astra 1E
, and was moved to 31.5° east
, where it operated in inclined orbit
, to replace Optus A3, and was joined in April 2008 by Astra 5A
to officially open the Astra 31.5°E
position.
On January 16, 2009 Astra 5A suffered a technical failure and all traffic ceased. Much of it (especially channels for German cable service, Kabel Deutschland) transferred to Astra 23.5°E as Astra 1D was not suitable for the transmission of these services because it was in an inclined orbit. In May 2009, Astra 2C
was moved from the 28.2° east position to Astra 31.5°E to take over Astra 5A's mission with Astra 1D as ultimate backup. In June 2010, Astra 1G was moved from Astra 23.5°E to Astra 31.5°E (following the launch of Astra 3B to 23.5° east), where it could take over all broadcasting activity from Astra 2C, releasing Astra 2C for backup, and releasing Astra 1D for use elsewhere. Astra 1D then commenced movement westwards and in August 2010 arrived at 1.8°E where, with Astra 1C
at 2.0°E it can be used for occasional traffic such as outside broadcast news feeds. In october 2011 Astra 1D returned to 28°E.
Communications satellite
A communications satellite is an artificial satellite stationed in space for the purpose of telecommunications...
from Société Européenne des Satellites (SES), now SES Astra
SES Astra
Astra is the name for the geostationary communication satellites, both individually and as a group, which are owned and operated by SES S.A., a global satellite operator based in Betzdorf, in eastern Luxembourg. The name is sometimes also used to describe the channels broadcasting from these...
. It was launched to Astra's original solitary operational position at 19.2° east
Astra 19.2°E
Astra 19.2°E is the name for the group of communications satellites co-located at the 19.2°East orbital position in the Clarke Belt that are owned and operated by SES Astra, a subsidiary of SES based in Betzdorf, Luxembourg....
, and was intended as an in-orbit spare for Astra's 1A
Astra 1A
Astra 1A was the first satellite launched and operated by SES . During its early days, it was often referred to as the Astra Satellite, as SES only operated one satellite originally....
, 1B
Astra 1B
Astra 1B was the second satellite launched and operated by Société Européenne des Satellites , now SES Astra. It was bought during its construction from GE Americom, and was launched to add extra capacity to the satellite television services from 19.2° east, serving Germany, the UK and Republic of...
and 1C
Astra 1C
Astra 1C was the third communications satellite launched by the Société Européenne des Satellites , now SES Astra. It is the oldest Astra satellite still in operation, although it currently carries few services...
. However, demand for additional capacity for both British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
television channels, plus the extension of the receivable segment of the Ku band
Ku band
The Kμ band is a portion of the electromagnetic spectrum in the microwave range of frequencies. This symbol refers to —in other words, the band directly below the K-band...
by 250 MHz on most consumer equipment led to the satellite becoming regularly used, and the launch of a further four Astra satellites to the 19.2° east position.
When the satellite originally went on air, several of its transponders were used by British Sky Broadcasting
British Sky Broadcasting
British Sky Broadcasting Group plc is a satellite broadcasting, broadband and telephony services company headquartered in London, United Kingdom, with operations in the United Kingdom and the Ireland....
for new channels such as Granada Talk TV
Granada Talk TV
Granada Talk TV was a channel owned and operated by Granada Sky Broadcasting, a joint venture between British Sky Broadcasting and Granada Television. It launched on 1 October 1996 with the other channels of the bouquet...
. Since these channels used frequencies that were not available on the original Sky receivers due to being outside the original BSS band, Sky issued viewers with frequency shifters ("ADX Plus Channel Expanders"), comprising small boxes the size of a cigarette
Cigarette
A cigarette is a small roll of finely cut tobacco leaves wrapped in a cylinder of thin paper for smoking. The cigarette is ignited at one end and allowed to smoulder; its smoke is inhaled from the other end, which is held in or to the mouth and in some cases a cigarette holder may be used as well...
packet with a single switch and an on/off LED
LEd
LEd is a TeX/LaTeX editing software working under Microsoft Windows. It is a freeware product....
. When connected between the dish and the receiver (and powered by the receiver) these allowed viewers to switch manually between the Astra 1A and Astra 1D frequency bands - precisely 250 MHz.
History
After launch to 19.2° east, Astra 1D served two periods as a spare at the Astra 28.2°EAstra 28.2°E
Astra 28.2°E is the name for the group of Astra communications satellites co-located at the 28.2° East position in the Clarke Belt that are owned and operated by SES based in Betzdorf, Luxembourg...
position colocated with Astra 2A
Astra 2A
Astra 2A is a communications satellite owned by SES Astra. Launched in 1998, half its expected end-of-life capacity of 28 transponders were pre-booked by BSkyB, who utilised it to launch their new Sky Digital service...
, during mid-1998 and for most of 2000. In between these two periods, it returned to the Astra 19.2°E
Astra 19.2°E
Astra 19.2°E is the name for the group of communications satellites co-located at the 19.2°East orbital position in the Clarke Belt that are owned and operated by SES Astra, a subsidiary of SES based in Betzdorf, Luxembourg....
position. During this time, some small numbers of transponders were used for regular service. After other Astra craft (Astra 2B
Astra 2B
Astra 2B is a communications satellite owned and operated by SES Astra, launched in 2000 to join Astra 2A at the Astra 28.2°E orbital slot providing digital television and radio broadcast services to the UK and Republic of Ireland....
, Astra 2D
Astra 2D
Astra 2D is one of a group of Astra communications satellites operated by SES, located at 28.2° east in the Clarke Belt. It is a Hughes HS-376 craft, and was launched from the Guiana Space Centre in December 2000....
) either arrived or were ordered for the slot, it moved to 24.2° east where it spent almost two years carrying little more than test cards or feeds, until a move to 23° east (September 2003) and then 23.5° east
Astra 23.5°E
Astra 23.5°E is the name for the group of communications satellites co-located at the 23.5° east position in the Clarke Belt owned and operated by SES Astra, a subsidiary of SES based in Betzdorf, Luxembourg...
(November 2004) where Euro1080
Euro1080
Euro1080 was the first commercial broadcaster in Europe to air full-time HDTV content. It was founded by Gabriel Fehervari in 2004 and is owned by Alfacam....
began to use it as their main transmitting craft.
In November 2007, Astra 1D was replaced at the Astra 23.5°E
Astra 23.5°E
Astra 23.5°E is the name for the group of communications satellites co-located at the 23.5° east position in the Clarke Belt owned and operated by SES Astra, a subsidiary of SES based in Betzdorf, Luxembourg...
position by Astra 1E
Astra 1E
Astra 1E is a communications satellite owned and operated by SES Astra, and launched in 1995 to the Astra 19.2°E orbital slot to provide digital television and radio for DTH across Europe....
, and was moved to 31.5° east
Astra 31.5°E
Astra 31.5°E is the name for the group of communications satellites co-located at the 31.5° east position in the Clarke Belt owned and operated by SES Astra, a subsidiary of SES based in Betzdorf, Luxembourg...
, where it operated in inclined orbit
Inclined orbit
A satellite is said to occupy an inclined orbit around the Earth if the orbit exhibits an angle other than zero degrees with the equatorial plane. This angle is called the orbit's inclination...
, to replace Optus A3, and was joined in April 2008 by Astra 5A
Astra 5A
Astra 5A is a communications satellite owned and operated by SES Astra at the Astra 31.5°E orbital slot. Launched in 1997 to the 5°E position by NSAB as Sirius 2, operation of the satellite was transferred to SES Astra in April 2008 and the craft renamed and moved to 31.5°E to open up a new...
to officially open the Astra 31.5°E
Astra 31.5°E
Astra 31.5°E is the name for the group of communications satellites co-located at the 31.5° east position in the Clarke Belt owned and operated by SES Astra, a subsidiary of SES based in Betzdorf, Luxembourg...
position.
On January 16, 2009 Astra 5A suffered a technical failure and all traffic ceased. Much of it (especially channels for German cable service, Kabel Deutschland) transferred to Astra 23.5°E as Astra 1D was not suitable for the transmission of these services because it was in an inclined orbit. In May 2009, Astra 2C
Astra 2C
Astra 2C is a communications satellite owned and operated by SES Astra. Designed to join Astra 2A and Astra 2B at the Astra 28.2°E orbital slot providing digital television and radio broadcast services to the UK and Republic of Ireland, the satellite was first used at 19.2°E for pan-European...
was moved from the 28.2° east position to Astra 31.5°E to take over Astra 5A's mission with Astra 1D as ultimate backup. In June 2010, Astra 1G was moved from Astra 23.5°E to Astra 31.5°E (following the launch of Astra 3B to 23.5° east), where it could take over all broadcasting activity from Astra 2C, releasing Astra 2C for backup, and releasing Astra 1D for use elsewhere. Astra 1D then commenced movement westwards and in August 2010 arrived at 1.8°E where, with Astra 1C
Astra 1C
Astra 1C was the third communications satellite launched by the Société Européenne des Satellites , now SES Astra. It is the oldest Astra satellite still in operation, although it currently carries few services...
at 2.0°E it can be used for occasional traffic such as outside broadcast news feeds. In october 2011 Astra 1D returned to 28°E.
Transponders
The channels broadcast on Astra 1D during its years at 19.2°E include:| Transponder | Frequency | Channels |
|---|---|---|
| 49 | 10,714 H | Arte Arte Arte is a Franco-German TV network. It is a European culture channel and aims to promote quality programming especially in areas of culture and the arts... (1995-), Nickelodeon Germany Nickelodeon Germany Nickelodeon , known on-air only as Nickelodeon, is a television channel for kids in Germany, part of the international Nickelodeon franchise. Launched on 2005, Nickelodeon Germany is based in Berlin... (1995–1996), Der Kinderkanal (1997-) |
| 50 | 10,729 V | CNBC Europe CNBC Europe CNBC Europe is a business and financial news television channel, the pan-European sister station of CNBC. The network is owned and operated by NBC Universal and headquartered in London, where it shares the Adrian Smith-designed 10 Fleet Place building with Dow Jones... (1996-) |
| 51 | 10,744 H | Veronica (1995–1996), CMT Europe CMT Europe CMT Europe was a European television channel. It was a European version of Country Music Television.The channel started in 1992. It was closed down on March 31, 1998 after substantial losses.... (1996-), Bloomberg Television Bloomberg Television Bloomberg Television is a 24-hour global network broadcasting business and financial news. It is distributed globally, reaching over 200 million homes worldwide. It is owned and operated by Bloomberg L.P... |
| 52 | 10,759 V | RTL 4 RTL 4 RTL 4 is a commercial television station in the Netherlands. It is the most-watched commercial station in the country, popular especially with those aged between 20 and 49. The station has three sister tv channels: RTL 5, RTL 7 and RTL 8... (1995–1996), QVC Germany QVC Germany The United States channel was formed in West Chester, Pennsylvania. It is a multinational corporation, specialising in televised home shopping. It was founded in 1986 by Joseph Segel. QVC broadcasts in four major countries to 141 million consumers... (1996-) |
| 53 | 10,773 H | SBS6 SBS6 SBS 6 is a commercial TV channel in the Netherlands owned by Sanoma and Talpa Holding . Other channels of the group in the Netherlands are NET 5 and Veronica.- History :SBS stands for Scandinavian Broadcasting System... (1995–1996), JSTV JSTV is a Japanese broadcaster in the Middle East, Europe, Russia and North Africa. Launched in March 1990, broadcasting from London, the channel has broadcast for two hours each night from 8pm on the Lifestyle transponder 5 on the Astra 1A satellite in analogue format... (1996-), CNE, The Racing Channel The Racing Channel The Racing Channel was a British subscription television channel which used to extensively cover horse racing. It ran between 1995 and its closure in January 2003.... (1996) |
| 54 | 10,788 V | Zee TV Zee TV Zee TV is an India-based satellite television channel owned by Zee Entertainment Enterprises based in Mumbai, Maharashtra, which broadcasts various programmes in Hindi and other regional languages of India. Broadcasting is also present in various nations of South Asia, Europe, the Middle East,... (1995-), The Chinese Channel (1995–1997) |
| 55 | 10,803 H | Teleclub Teleclub Teleclub, founded in 1982 in Switzerland, is one of the longest established Pay TV broadcasters in Europe. Between 1984 and 1991 the service was also available in Germany. Today it is only available in Switzerland.... (1995–2000) |
| 56 | 10,818 V | Bloomberg Germany, TV Travel Shop TV Travel Shop TV Travel Shop was a British television channel that sold holidays.It launched in 1998, primarily on satellite and cable. In 2000, the channel launched on ONdigital, using capacity from ONrequest 2 , and broadcast 6am-12pm weekdays, and 6am-10am weekends, free to air on channel 44. Its hours were... |
| 57 | 10,832 H | SBS6 SBS6 SBS 6 is a commercial TV channel in the Netherlands owned by Sanoma and Talpa Holding . Other channels of the group in the Netherlands are NET 5 and Veronica.- History :SBS stands for Scandinavian Broadcasting System... (1996), UK Horizons UK Horizons UK Horizons was a television channel broadcast in the United Kingdom, as part of the UKTV network of channels. The channel was in existence between 1997 and 2004.-Launch:... , UK Play, Astra Promo |
| 58 | 10,847 V | Granada Good Life (1996-), Computer Channel Computer Channel The Computer Channel was Germany's most popular computer-related website.It was founded in June, 1999, as a subsidiary of Gruner + Jahr. The company had branches in Munich and Frankfurt, as well as offices in San Francisco and London.- External links :... , Granada Breeze Granada Breeze Granada Breeze was a lifestyle channel operated by Granada Sky Broadcasting, a joint venture between Granada Television and British Sky Broadcasting. The channel was launched as Granada Good Life on 1 October 1996.... , .TV, Zomer TV (-1996), Sky Box Office 4 |
| 59 | 10,862 H | Granada Talk TV Granada Talk TV Granada Talk TV was a channel owned and operated by Granada Sky Broadcasting, a joint venture between British Sky Broadcasting and Granada Television. It launched on 1 October 1996 with the other channels of the bouquet... (1996–1997), Sky Scottish Sky Scottish Sky Scottish was a short lived satellite television channel operating on the analogue Sky TV service for 18 months .... (1996-), Sky Box Office 3 Rapture TV Rapture TV Rapture TV was a previously free-to-air satellite television station operated from the United Kingdom, founded in 1997... , FilmFour |
| 60 | 10,877 V | Sky Movies Gold (1995-1997), The Weather Channel The Weather Channel The Weather Channel is a US cable and satellite television network since May 2, 1982, that broadcasts weather forecasts and weather-related news, along with entertainment programming related to weather 24 hours a day... (1996-1998), The Racing Channel The Racing Channel The Racing Channel was a British subscription television channel which used to extensively cover horse racing. It ran between 1995 and its closure in January 2003.... (1996-2001), Sky Box Office 2 (1997-2001) |
| 61 | 10,891 H | Pro Sieben (-1997), Phoenix Phoenix (German TV station) Phoenix is a publicly-funded television station in Germany which is produced jointly by public broadcasting organizations ARD and ZDF. Its programming consists of documentaries, news broadcasts, special events coverage, and discussion programmes... (1997), Südwest Fernsehen (1997-) |
| 62 | 10,906 V | Home Order Television (1995-) |
| 63 | 10,921 H | Filmnet Filmnet Nova Cinema is a premium television service available in Greece that broadcasts blockbuster movies and hit series. It is the only 24/7 Movie service in Greece and it launched in 1994. It is owned by Forthnet, who own and operate Nova a DTH satellite service and Nova Sports—a sports channel.Nova... (-1997), The Adult Channel The Adult Channel The Adult Channel is a broadcast just for adults pay-per-view cable/satellite/IPTV channel available in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland, replacing the Home Video Channel on 30th June 1999... (?-1997) Channel 5 |
| 64 | 10,936 V | RTL 5 RTL 5 RTL 5 is the 2nd channel of the RTL Group in the Netherlands. The channel mainly broadcasts American films and hit series but also local productions including Jensen! and Holland's Next Top Model, a Dutch version of America's Next Top Model. RTL 5 recently started airing the Dutch version of... (-1996), tm3 (1996-) |
See also
- Astra 2CAstra 2CAstra 2C is a communications satellite owned and operated by SES Astra. Designed to join Astra 2A and Astra 2B at the Astra 28.2°E orbital slot providing digital television and radio broadcast services to the UK and Republic of Ireland, the satellite was first used at 19.2°E for pan-European...
previously co-located satellite - Astra 5AAstra 5AAstra 5A is a communications satellite owned and operated by SES Astra at the Astra 31.5°E orbital slot. Launched in 1997 to the 5°E position by NSAB as Sirius 2, operation of the satellite was transferred to SES Astra in April 2008 and the craft renamed and moved to 31.5°E to open up a new...
previously co-located satellite - Astra 31.5°EAstra 31.5°EAstra 31.5°E is the name for the group of communications satellites co-located at the 31.5° east position in the Clarke Belt owned and operated by SES Astra, a subsidiary of SES based in Betzdorf, Luxembourg...
orbital position - SES AstraSES AstraAstra is the name for the geostationary communication satellites, both individually and as a group, which are owned and operated by SES S.A., a global satellite operator based in Betzdorf, in eastern Luxembourg. The name is sometimes also used to describe the channels broadcasting from these...
satellite owner
External links
- SES guide to receiving Astra satellites
- OnAstra - Official consumers/viewers' site
- SES - Official trade/industry site
- Astra 1D Frequency chart on FlySat.com