25050 - INDOSTAR 1

Sirius 2 was a Swedish communications satellite launched from the Kourou Space Complex in French Guiana aboard an Ariane 44L rocket. It was placed in a geosynchronus orbit at 4.9 degrees E.

Sirius 2 was used primarily for direct-to-home and cable television services as well as data distribution in Scandinavia and neighboring countries, but it was also capable of providing television distribution and high-speed internet data to Greenland.

The spacecraft was moved to 31.5 degrees E longitude in April 2008 in order to expand services to Central and Eastern Europe. It suffered an apparent sudden technical anomaly in January 2009 that ended its in-service lifetime. It was to be moved into a graveyard orbit.

Alternate Names

Astra 5A
Sirius 2

Facts in Brief

Launch Date: 1997-11-12
Launch Vehicle: Ariane 44L
Launch Site: Kourou, French Guiana
Mass: 815.0 kg