| Names | Eutelsat 28E |
|---|---|
| Mission type | Communications |
| Operator | SES S.A. |
| COSPAR ID | 2013-056A |
| SATCAT no. | 39285 |
| Website | https://www.ses.com/ |
| Mission duration | 15 years (planned) 10 years, 3 months, 16 days (elapsed) |
| Spacecraft properties | |
| Spacecraft type | Eurostar |
| Bus | Eurostar-3000 |
| Manufacturer | Astrium (now Airbus Defence and Space) |
| Launch mass | 6,020 kg (13,270 lb) |
| Start of mission | |
| Launch date | 29 September 2013, 21:38 UTC |
| Rocket | Proton-M / Briz-M |
| Launch site | Baikonur, Site 200/39 |
| Contractor | Khrunichev State Research and Production Space Center |
| Entered service | February 2014 |
| Orbital parameters | |
| Reference system | Geocentric orbit[1] |
| Regime | Geostationary orbit |
| Longitude | 28.2° East |
| Transponders | |
| Band | 63 transponders: 60 Ku-band 3 Ka-band |
| Coverage area | Europe, Middle East, Africa |
Astra 2E is one of the Astra communications satellites owned and operated by SES S.A., launched to the Astra 28.2°E orbital position on 30 September 2013 [2] after a 10-week delay caused by launcher problems. The satellite provides free-to-air and encrypted direct-to-home (DTH) digital television and satellite broadband services for Europe and the Middle East.[3]
After launch, Astra 2E underwent in-orbit testing at 43.5° East [4] and began commercial operations at 28.2° East in February 2014.[5] At that time, channels broadcast via Astra 1N (temporarily located at 28.2° East pending Astra 1E's launch) were transferred to Astra 2E and Astra 1N relocated to its design position at 19.2° East.[6]
Astra 2E is the second of three "second generation" satellites for the 28.2° East position to replace the first generation Astra 2A, Astra 2B, Astra 2C and Astra 2D craft originally positioned there between 1998 and 2001.[7] The first, Astra 2F, was launched in 2012,[8] and the third, Astra 2G, was launched on 27 December 2014.[9])
Unlike other SES/Astra satellites, the launch order of Astra 2E and Astra 2F is not reflected in their alphabetical names, with Astra 2F launched 10 months before Astra 2E.
