Last January 16 SES Astra was announcing that the satellite Astra 5th, ancient Sirius 2, and that was producing in the orbital position of 31,5 ° East had 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.
In these moments the 5th Astra has not fuel and any rotation therefore a clear and unpredictable danger exists in his orbit geostacionaria. The most serious threat is that the 5th Astra can damage other active satellites that produce in the precincts of 31,5 ° East.
The company SES Astra has communicated to the different satellites operators so that they should take preventive measures. The most vulnerable are the satellite Galaxy 11 in the orbital position of 32,8th East and the Intelsat 802 in 32,9 ° East.
In spite of the relative proximity, other satellites do not present a risk so serious as it is the case of the Eutelsat W4 - Sesat (36 ° East).
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 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, 30/01/09) |
The 5th 
