Astra 1C update

Analoguesat

Analoguesat

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I asked SES via their facebook page what was happening with the 20 year old (launch May 12th 1993!) Astra 1C. Not expecting any reply, surprising I got this response:

<span><span>Hi Ross, thanks for your question. ASTRA 1C will remain at 2E until further notice.</span></span>

Shes off air, heavily inclined (6 degrees) and must be virtually derelict by now!
 
Good of them to answer your enquiry though.
 
Yes - SES dont normally answer tech questions. Im now trying to find out where Astra 1H is off to :D
 
Yes ,sure it could be squeezed in somewhere although the arc these days seems very tight in places.
 
Nice to hear you getting a reply
Get his address we can send him a brown envelope and "butter" him up. LOL
 
Astra 1C was a geostationary communications satellites launched in 1993 by the Société Européenne des Satellites (SES), now SES Astra]. The commsat remained in service until 2011 and is now derelict.

Astra 1C was the third communications satellite placed in orbit by SES, and was originally deployed at the Astra 19.2°E orbital position.

The satellite was intended to be replaced in 2002, along with Astra 1B, by Astra 1K but this satellite failed to reach its intended orbit. It was eventually relieved of its remaining television/radio payloads by Astra 1KR in 2006.

In November 2006, prior to the launch of Astra 1L to the 19.2°E position, Astra 1C was placed in an inclined orbit and moved first to 2.0°E for tests, and then in February 2007 to 4.6°E, notionally part of the Astra 5°E cluster of satellites but largely unused.

After November 2008, the satellite operated back at 2.0°E where, as of June 2013, it remains, in inclined orbit.[4] On November 2, 2011 the satellite was taken out of use as Eutelsat, the right holder for the 3° allocation, came on air with Eutelsat 3A and current rules ask for a minimum of 2° separation.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Astra_1C
 
Captain Jack said:
In November 2006, prior to the launch of Astra 1L to the 19.2°E position, Astra 1C was placed in an inclined orbit
Click to expand...
I know you are quoting Wikipedia, but, a satellite is not placed in an inclined orbit, it happens naturally due to lack of north/south station keeping.
 
That's my understanding as well. They also leave some fuel for the final voyage to the graveyard orbit.
 
Captain Jack said:
Don't the operators decide when to stop using up precious fuel?
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Of course. It's just the choice of word. "Placed" makes it sound like there was a burn and then the satellite was inclined, but that's not what happened. The truth is the operator just abandoned north/south station keeping and the satellite slowly drifted to it's current state over a period of several years.
 
Until a week or so ago, Astra 1C was still active with a few lockable data transponders!
But now it seems to be over. According a TLE of 2 days ago, Astra 1C is moving West with 1° per day.
This is not yet a deorbit altitude, but with a life of 21 years, what else could we expect?
It should be clearer in a few days, if no announcement comes.
 
Raising the altitude 100 km or more, is also a deorbit I think.
If a deorbit for you must mean a decay to earth... that's fine.
 
hvdh said:
Until a week or so ago, Astra 1C was still active with a few lockable data transponders!
But now it seems to be over. According a TLE of 2 days ago, Astra 1C is moving West with 1° per day.
This is not yet a deorbit altitude, but with a life of 21 years, what else could we expect?
It should be clearer in a few days, if no announcement comes.
Click to expand...

Wow thats pretty good going. Ah well all good things come to an end. Unless shes off to "activate" an orbital slot I think we can wave goodbye to 1C now.
 
hvdh said:
Raising the altitude 100 km or more, is also a deorbit I think.
If a deorbit for you must mean a decay to earth... that's fine.
Click to expand...
Yes that is what it means to me. 50-100kms above geo-orbit is protected for geo-maneuvers. I think graveyard is about 500kms above geo.
 
Indeed Huevos, thinking about it, the only way NOT to have an orbit any more, is by letting the satellite crash or vaporise on our planet. :-rofl2

And also indeed, the minimum advised graveyard altitude is 36100 km, which is more than 300 km above geo (35786 km). My mention of 100 km was a typo.
 
Frequencies as found 2 weeks ago:
11254 H 19666 2/3 8PSK (continuous stream)
11445 V (beacon/telemetry, quite a strong peak in Crazyscan)

Gonna check later if 1C really left 2.0°E, crossing the belt at 19:45 UTC.
 
Nothing found yesterday evening.
And also a TLE was issued yesterday evening, the altitude has increased to 36140 km: junk orbit!
 
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