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Satsearching · 24-04-2009, 11:45 AM

Astra Satellite is 20!

It doesn’t feel that long ago that I first saw the advert in a news paper for UK Satellite TV for £199, but now realise that was over 20 years ago! How time passes…..

Astra 1A was launched on 11th December 1988 aboard an Ariane 4 craft, from Kourou in French Guiana, flight Number V27. It arrived at it’s 19.2’ East Geostationary home on the 7th January 1989. The first channel to transmit from it was Filmnet on 1st February 1989.

Later other channels appeared such as Sky, Screensport, TV3, MTV, SAT1, RTL etc.

Astra 1A was SES’s first satellite and had 16 transponders (Analogue Channels), SES then pioneered "Co-Location", this enabled several Satellites to be located close to each other allowing multiple channels to appear from 1 orbital position, so was then joined by 1B, 1C, 1D etc.

After sky switched off Analogue at the end of 2001 to take up digital at 28'E, Astra 1A was moved to 5.2'E east to provide data services. Astra 1A was retired in December 2004 and moved to "Graveyard Orbit"

Who remembers the first Amstrad SRX100 and 200 boxes for Astra 1A in the UK?

24-04-2009, 11:45 AM	#1 (permalink)
Satsearching Yorkshire Git Admin Team-UkCvs Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Here Posts: 1,564 iTrader: (0) Casino cash: $526932 Thanks: 658 Thanked 1,440 Times in 721 Posts Nominated 11 Times in 4 Posts TOTW/F/M Award(s): 4 Groans: 2 Groaned at 0 Times in 0 Posts	Astra is 20 years old! Astra Satellite is 20! It doesn’t feel that long ago that I first saw the advert in a news paper for UK Satellite TV for £199, but now realise that was over 20 years ago! How time passes….. Astra 1A was launched on 11th December 1988 aboard an Ariane 4 craft, from Kourou in French Guiana, flight Number V27. It arrived at it’s 19.2’ East Geostationary home on the 7th January 1989. The first channel to transmit from it was Filmnet on 1st February 1989. Later other channels appeared such as Sky, Screensport, TV3, MTV, SAT1, RTL etc. Astra 1A was SES’s first satellite and had 16 transponders (Analogue Channels), SES then pioneered "Co-Location", this enabled several Satellites to be located close to each other allowing multiple channels to appear from 1 orbital position, so was then joined by 1B, 1C, 1D etc. After sky switched off Analogue at the end of 2001 to take up digital at 28'E, Astra 1A was moved to 5.2'E east to provide data services. Astra 1A was retired in December 2004 and moved to "Graveyard Orbit" Who remembers the first Amstrad SRX100 and 200 boxes for Astra 1A in the UK? __________________ Download Our Toolbar Now !! DBOX HELPFILE HERE Any information provided on this site is not guaranteed in any way. Some articles may discuss topics that are illegal, so this information is provided for educational purposes only, use at your own risk !! NO TO SKY AND F1, BBC WAKE UP! HELLO RTL! Last edited by Satsearching; 24-04-2009 at 12:17 PM..