OTS-2 (Orbital Test Satellite)

[timo_w2s]

Not sure if this is the right place to post this but it seems kind of appropriate.

I'm looking for more info on OTS-2 (Orbital Test Satellite), one of Europe's first communications satellites.

Where was the satellite located and what was the footprint like? Does anyone have a list of channels that used the OTS-2 satellite in the late 70s and early 80s? I believe it had 6 transponders that covered parts of (western?) Europe. The only channel I know was Super Station Europe which later became Sky Channel (and now Sky 1) when Rupert Murdoch bought it.

Has anyone here seen transmissions from it? I only started getting in to satellite in 1988 so it was a bit too early for me.

 

[Analoguesat]

Some orbital info:

-http://www.astronautix.com/craft/ecsots.htm

Current location (graveyard orbit):

-http://www.n2yo.com/?s=10855

 

[timo_w2s]

Thanks, looks like OTS-2 started at 10°E between 1978-1982 and the moved to 5°E between 1982-1990. Wikipedia says Europe's first ever cable and satellite channel Super Station Europe started on April 26, 1982 so I guess that probably means the channel started transmissions when the satellite was moved to 5°E.

Anyone know of any other channels that may have joined it after 1982?

 

[Analoguesat]

Satellite Television UK (the precursor to Sky Channel)

-http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sky_Television_plc

 

[Analoguesat]

You have got me interested in this now!

13m dishes were required to receive OTS-2!!


-http://tinyurl.com/2vwd74v

P227-229

 

[timo_w2s]

Super Station Europe was renamed to Satellite Television UK in 1983.

 

[timo_w2s]

You have got me interested in this now!

13m dishes were required to receive OTS-2!!

-http://tinyurl.com/2vwd74v

P227-229

Hmm, I guess not many home setups then. ;)

I must admit it got me curious when I bumped into some info on OTS last night hence the reason I decided to post here.

 

[timo_w2s]

Thanks for the book link, reading through it suggests that Eutelsat handed OTS-2 back to ESA in 1984. By this time Eutelsat 1-F1 was launched so I guess chances are most new satellite channels started using this satellite instead and we know Sky Channel broadcast from Eutelsat 1-F1.

Perhaps Super Station Europe/Satellite Television UK was the only TV channel to use OTS-2 and the rest was data/voice traffic?

 

[timo_w2s]

A nice video from Sky's fifth birthday includes some (even older) old footage of the Super Station Europe launch:
_http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mOfLLROubVM

More:
_http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L3zCUdK28so
_http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LyVMDShFUnM