ASTRA 2E

About This Satellite

ASTRA 2E is a communications satellite launched in 2013 for the SES fleet. Its Ku- and Ka-band capacity was planned for broadcast and broadband applications. Unlike a navigation satellite, its principal role is to relay communications; unlike an imaging satellite, its service footprint is not a strip of photographed ground.

One spacecraft in a shared broadcast neighbourhood

SES lists ASTRA 2E together with ASTRA 2F and 2G at the 28.2 degrees east broadcast neighbourhood serving the UK and Ireland, with wider regional reach. A neighbourhood is an orbital service location shared by multiple spacecraft. The similar pointing direction does not make their catalog identities interchangeable.

Longitude is not the direction to turn a dish

The 28.2 degrees east slot names an equatorial longitude. It is not a compass azimuth of 28.2 degrees from every location on Earth. Antenna direction depends on the observer's location as well as the satellite position. This catalog's ground marker also cannot establish the strength of a particular broadcast beam at your address.

Mission reference: SES: 2013 Annual Report, ASTRA 2E deployment. Editorial review: 2026-09-07.

A mixed communications payload

The operator's 2013 fleet report describes Ku- and Ka-band use and broadcast, VSAT, and broadband applications. These frequency bands and service categories should not be read as a current channel list. A satellite can host multiple communications services, each with its own ground equipment, coverage, and commercial arrangements.

Reference: SES: original ASTRA 2E capacity and service context.

Which map answers the reception question?

Use the operator's beam and neighbourhood information to investigate reception regions. Use the orbit panel here to examine the dated spacecraft position. These views answer different questions: being on the Earth-facing side of the satellite does not by itself establish that a chosen service is available or decodable.

Reference: SES: ASTRA 2E/2F/2G broadcast neighbourhood.

Reading this orbital snapshot

Based on TLE epoch: 2026-09-05. Estimated altitude ranges from 35,776 km at perigee to 35,796 km at apogee, a difference of 21 km. The orbital period is about 1436.1 minutes. Eccentricity 0.00025 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 0.11 degrees implies approximate geocentric ground-track limits of 0.1 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 1436.1 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 39285 · GCAT: S39285 (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)

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