ASTRA 1E

About This Satellite

ASTRA 1E is listed as a payload under NORAD ID 23686 with international designator 1995-055A. According to the GCAT master catalog, it was built by HSES, on the HS-601 platform, with a catalog mass of 3010 kg, with a shape described as Box + 2 Pan. It is associated with Luxembourg, Grand Duchy of. In the historical build snapshot (TLE epoch 2026-09-04), its HEO orbit had an apogee of about 36,226 km and a perigee near 36,188 km, with an inclination of 11.67° and a period of roughly 1457.6 minutes; at apogee its speed was about 3.06 km/s. It was launched on 1995-10-19. The build snapshot uses a TLE with epoch 2026-09-04. A moving map, when available, is a prediction rather than a direct measurement.

What this identity tells us

The payload classification comes from GCAT record S23686. A catalog identifier follows a tracked physical object, not necessarily an active service. Manufacturer and owner entries describe catalog associations; ownership is not interchangeable with present-day operation. A separately sourced mission history has not yet been verified for this record.

Reading this orbital snapshot

Based on TLE epoch: 2026-09-04. Estimated altitude ranges from 36,188 km at perigee to 36,226 km at apogee, a difference of 38 km. The orbital period is about 1457.6 minutes. Eccentricity 0.00045 indicates a nearly circular path. In a two-body approximation, perigee speed is 1.00 times apogee speed. These are mean-element estimates, not instantaneous measurements. Distance per orbit uses an ellipse approximation.

Saved build snapshot. If a valid TLE is retrieved, this explanation and the orbit panel update together. Otherwise this dated snapshot is retained.

Ground track is not sensor coverage

An inclination of 11.67 degrees implies approximate geocentric ground-track limits of 11.7 degrees north and south. This is a prograde orbit, moving in the same general direction as Earth rotation. The plotted line marks the point beneath the object. It does not represent camera coverage, radio reception, or a guaranteed visible pass.

Is it fixed above one longitude?

The snapshot period is 1457.6 minutes. A sidereal day is about 1,436.07 minutes. Height alone does not establish a geostationary orbit: the period must match Earth rotation and the path must be circular and equatorial. This catalog uses a five-minute period tolerance for near-geosynchronous labels; near-geostationary additionally requires inclination at most 1 degree and eccentricity at most 0.01. These are browsing categories, not evidence of station-keeping or a fixed longitude.

Accuracy and missing information

The introductory record describes the build snapshot. The orbital snapshot explanation and orbit panel share any successfully retrieved TLE; check the displayed epoch. Reentered objects retain historical data only. Mission history is not rewritten by TLE updates. TLE/SGP4 positions are predictions and can change after maneuvers or updated observations. The 14-day stale-data cutoff is a display safeguard, not an accuracy guarantee. Local passes are geometric predictions, not a visibility forecast. No verified operator or mission status means unknown, not active. Do not use this catalog for collision avoidance or operational flight decisions.

Catalog sources: CelesTrak SATCAT: NORAD 23686 · GCAT: S23686 (source update 2026 Sep 4 2345:57). Supplementary metadata: SatNOGS DB, retrieved 2026-09-05T12:57:25.375Z. Page assembled 2026-09-15. GCAT phase codes describe trajectory phases, not mission health.

Learn more: TLE data · Perigee and apogee · Ground tracks · JOT (Jewawud Live Orbital Map)

Satellite Details