The operator announces that the satellite Astra 5th, ancient Sirius 2, and that was producing in the orbital position of 31,5 ° East has finished his useful life on having detected to him a technical anomaly that has made it rendered useless

As soon as the technical aberration was detected, SES Astra moved immediately most of the channels that they were expressing in the 5th Astra to the satellite Astra 3rd, placed to 23,5th East, on having talked each other of a nearby position.

Astra 5th was offering service to several German cable networks, between them the KDL. There does not exist yet an official explanation that determines the exact motive of a mistake so serious that it has made the whole rendered useless satellite.

The 5th Astra was placed at present 31,5 ° East after 5th East was occupying from November, 1997 the orbital position of with the name of Sirius.

SES Astra will have to adopt shortly a decision on the orbit of 31,5th East that it was exploiting up to the mistake detected with the 5th Astra.


(SatCesc, 17/01/09)