Astra 5B satellite

Astra 5B

Luxembourg

Spacecraft nº:

Luxembourg spacecraft nº: 24

Designation	39617 / 14011B
Launch date	22 March 2014 - 22:04 UT
Launch site	Ko, ELA-3
Launch vehicle	Ariane-5ECA (VA-216)
Mission	Communication (Direct Broadcasting)
Geostationary orbit:
Perigee / Apogee	35783 x 35804 km
Eccentricity
Inclination	0.1 °
Period	1436.1 min

Launched together with: Amazonas 4A

Prime manufacturer	EADS Astrium ? Airbus Defence and Space
Platform	Eurostar-3000
Operator	SES-Astra
Mass at launch	5724 kg
Dry Mass	kg
Basic shape
Dimension (m)
Equipment	EADS Astrium --> Airbus Defence and Space
Solar array
Stabilization
Propulsion
DC power	2 deployable solar arrays
Design lifetime	15 yrs

The new satellites, to be designated Astra 2E, Astra 2F, Astra 2G and Astra 5B, will allow the release of the existing satellites at two orbital positions (28.2 and 31.5 degrees East) and add new capacity as well as fleet deployment flexibility for the SES group over the coming years. The satellites are scheduled for launch in several steps between 2012 and 2014. The design life of each satellite is 15 years.
Astra 5B will be deployed at the orbital position 31.5 degrees East, extending SES ASTRA’s transponder capacity and geographical reach over Eastern European and neighboring markets for DTH, Direct-to-Cable (DTC) and contribution feeds to Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT) networks. It will also carry a hosted L-band payload for the European Commission’s European Geostationary Navigation Overlay Service (EGNOS).
ASTRA 5B is set to replace ASTRA 1G at the 31.5 degrees east location. The spacecraft hosts 40 Ku-band transponders and six Ka-band transponders to expand direct-to-home television services over Eastern Europe, Russia and neighboring markets. ASTRA 5B, based on the Airbus Defence and Space Eurostar E3000 satellite bus, is flying with a hosted L-band navigation payload for the European Geostationary Navigation Overlay Service, which augments GPS navigation signals over Europe for specialty users such as the aviation and surveying industries.

Arianespace put two communications satellites in a 260 x 35690 km x 3.0 deg GTO on Mar 22. Both satellites are carrying out orbit raising burns on their way to geostationary orbit. Astra 5B is a 5724 kg Airbus Defense and Space Eurostar 3000L for SES and was in a 15373 x 35665 km x 0.8 deg orbit on Mar 27, 2014.

Ref.: #7(JR695), #228 - update: 02.12.14