Program: Astra

Direct Broadcasting System that covers western Europe. Operated by SES Astra, a subsidiary of SES global a company founded in March 1985 by 11 shareholders. Based at the Betzdorff castle in Luxemburg.

The first hotbird position of the program was 19.2°E Another position at 28.8°E was started in 1997 with the Astra 2 generation.

In Sep 2000 it is learned that the company wants to order 3 to 4 Ka-band satellites. The satellites might weigh upto 7000 kg and cost as much as EUR 1.2 billion. They would be launch in 2004.

Technical data

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Analog Modulation

Bandwidth	26 MHz
Video excursion	16 MHz/v
Mono bandwidth	180 KHz
Mono de-emphasis	50 µs
Stereo bandwidth	130 KHz
Stereo de-emphasis	75 µs
Stereo expansion	Panda 1

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