Astra 2E: Transit to 28.2E

[4wd]

With 2B and 2E almost equidistant from 28.2E I thought I'd post this graphical representation of SES's space snooker over Africa...

View attachment 61211

While we wait:

Breaking News from Disassociated Press:
The real story behind all the satellite movements.

Congo and other countries in the region have claimed ownership of space above their countries, and demand a yearly indemnisation for any use of their territorial sky.

The initial yearly fees for rental of space is set to usd 1.000.000.000 pr satellite, but offered with a promotional one month for free if one opts for the prepaid 20 year contract.

The CSRA (Congolese Space Research Administration) has secretly build rockets that will be able to enforce all applicable laws. Any satellites not in compliance with the rules will be shot down, alternatively confiscated and the parts turned into cooking utensils.

Delegations from SES, BBC and other agencies traveled to the country to engage in negotiations, but upon arrival they were immediately abducted and taken hostage by a revolutionary group (who also claims ownership of the sky) and are currently held at gunpoint at an unknown jungle location.

Subsequently, we regret to announce the untimely deaths of all the members of another party of negotiators who were traveling to secure the release of the previous negotiators. While on a domestic flight aboard a locally renovated and serviced DC3 the plane very unexpectedly caught fire mid-flight, and all 78 passengers and, sadly, 23 goats, died. The investigators at the scene have yet to determine how an accident could possibly happen to such a new airplane, having been in daily service for only 49 years.

As a result of this dramatic situation, all satellites over Africa will be moved to new positions over the Atlantic, all services and transmissions will soon cease until further notice.

Update: The Belgian government is sending troops to resolve the situation.

 

[skomedal]

@Deso
Think both west going and east going birds slow down when approaching their GSO station

 

[Lazarus]

Yes. Some fuel will be expended in the final stages, so the motion in various degrees of freedom won't then be exclusively due to the natural orbital speed.

Less thrust, Scotty.

 

[Deso]

I have sat and thought about this and I think I have it now. It's like a helicopter coming in to land, as you approach the landing area you slow down and reduce altitude then you stop as you land on the helipad. A simple analogy but I think it is about right, yes?

 

[skomedal]

YEP

 

[Llew]

Astra 2E must be close to Arabsat 5A 30.5e. I'm dead on 30.5E and locking 12656V MTV. 11707V beacon on Marker at left and strong. Shown frequencies a little out, as I've changed my faulty Inverto BU to my Invacom Quad / CM Feedhorn on the Gibby and needs its wayward LO adjusted on the speccy.

22:53 27/01/2014

 

[Pietclock]

it is about the balance of gravitation and centrifugal force. Only in geo orbit, the speed of the satellites (or any other object) is exactly the amount to do 1 revolution per day, and at the same time that speed produces exactly as much centrifugal force to cancel out gravitation. The satellite virtualy doesnt move.
when they want to lower the orbit, they slow the satellite down, the centrifugal force gets smaller, and the satellite moves nearer to earth.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hohmann_transfer_orbit

 

[M60]

So assuming 2E slows down at the same time as moving closer to GSO (your in effect moving at an angle of a certain degree) and at a lower earth altitude in that respect, from an Earth viewpoint looking up, then will the craft appear to travel slower or still retain some momentum as a burn has been carried out to lower it's orbit? I'll do some hunting online for the maths to try and support this as there must be an answer out there.

Edit - just seen your post pietclock, should have refreshed the page before posting!

 

[Huevos]

Currently going slower than a satellite at geo altitude which is why it is going backwards (doing less than one rev per day). 12 hours before it arrives it does one burn to lower the perigee and a second burn on arrival to lower the apogee.

 

[M60]

Currently going slower than a satellite at geo altitude which is why it is going backwards (doing less than one rev per day). 12 hours before it arrives it does one burn to lower the perigee and a second burn on arrival to lower the apogee.

I read this on a site I found with a full description of how it's done. Does the satellite physically slow down, thus it then takes a tad longer than 12hrs to then reach it's destination, or is the descent in altitude carefully calculated such that the drop in altitude closer to true Geostationary orbit is done knowing it's got a pre-defined time to accurately reach it's intended position at what would have been the same time if it were still in a raised or lowered orbit (if that sort of makes sense?).

 

[solly]

good morning astra 2e
30.8e
near to arabsat 5a on 30.5e

 

[dvdfilm]

What's the best tracking website for Astra 2E?

 

[M60]

What's the best tracking website for Astra 2E?

I use n2yo: http://www.n2yo.com/?s=39285

 

[skomedal]

http://www.satellite-calculations.com/Satellite/Catalog/catalogID.php?39285

Even gives the AVR distance from GEO

 

[solly]

astra 2e pass arabsat 5a
now last satellite will be pass old astra 1e
on 30.2e mid night

 

[Llew]

Just for fun while we wait...

28E calling 2E beacon 11707V - come on in, we see you out there

 

[solly]

waiting soon 2e in slot

 

[peeter3000]

Do You know something about 11610H 29500 qpsk 3/4 ?

 

[M60]

Do You know something about 11610H 29500 qpsk 3/4 ?

This looks like a DVB-S2 TP, possibly a Sky migration? There's also reports 11739V is active (27500 2/3), an ex-2A South TP, currently carrying a dual illumination of 12266H which has Sky Box Office channels on it and on the 1N PE beam. Not had chance yet to check it out.

 

[timo_w2s]

Do You know something about 11610H 29500 qpsk 3/4 ?

Not seeing anything here in the UK on that frequency right now.