Tags: Artificialsatellite, Satellite.
Astra 3A is one of the Astra communications satellites owned and operated by SES launched in 2002 to the Astra 23.5°E orbital slot to provide digital television and radio for DTH and cable multimedia and interactive services corporate networks and occasional and other business services to central Europe.The satellite provides two broadcast beams of horizontal and vertical polarisation across two footprints that covered essentially the same areas of Europe – principally the countries of central Europe.Astra 3A was launched to provide follow-on capacity to replace the DFS-Kopernikus 3 satellite and deliver additional capacity for the Benelux countries and central Europe to create SES-Astra’s third major European satellite hotspot after Astra 19.2°E and Astra 28.2°E with access to channels at both positions using a single dish fitted with a monoblock Duo LNB.In that role TV signals could be received with a 50 cm dish across Germany Austria Switzerland Belgium the Netherlands Luxembourg the Czech Republic most of Denmark and in parts of France Italy Poland Slovenia and Slovakia.