| Mission type | Communications |
|---|---|
| Operator | SES |
| COSPAR ID | 2002-015B |
| SATCAT no. | 27400 |
| Website | https://www.ses.com/ |
| Mission duration | 12 years (planned) 20 years, 10 months (achieved) |
| Spacecraft properties | |
| Bus | HS-376HP |
| Manufacturer | Boeing Satellite Systems |
| Launch mass | 1,514 kg (3,338 lb) |
| Power | 1.6 kW |
| Start of mission | |
| Launch date | 29 March 2002, 01:29 UTC |
| Rocket | Ariane 44L H10-3 (V139) |
| Launch site | Centre Spatial Guyanais, ELA-2 |
| Contractor | Arianespace |
| Entered service | May 2002 |
| End of mission | |
| Disposal | Graveyard orbit |
| Deactivated | January 2023 |
| Orbital parameters | |
| Reference system | Geocentric orbit[1] |
| Regime | Geostationary orbit |
| Longitude | 23.5° East (2002-2013) 177° West (2013-2016) 86.5° East (2016) 47° West (2017-2019) 86.5° West (2019-2020) |
| Transponders | |
| Band | 20 Ku-band |
| Bandwidth | 36 MHz |
| Coverage area | Europe |
Astra 3A is one of the Astra communications satellites owned and operated by SES, launched in March 2002 to the Astra 23.5°E orbital position to provide digital television and radio for direct to home (DTH) and cable, multimedia and interactive services, corporate networks, and occasional and other business services to Europe.
The satellite provides two broadcast beams, of horizontal and vertical polarisation, across two footprints that covered essentially the same areas of Europe – principally the countries of central Europe.[2]
- ^ "ASTRA 3A". N2YO.com. Retrieved 8 April 2021.
- ^ "Astra 3A". SES. Archived from the original on 18 January 2012. Retrieved 26 January 2012.