After a two week delay to resolve technical problems the Proton rocket blasted off from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan yesterday carrying the Astra 2E satellite that spells the end of free TV for a million expats.
The launch was flawless and the ascent on track as a Proton-M/Briz-M launch vehicle blasted off from Baikonur carrying.
This was the first flight of the Proton since the dramatic July 2nd failure when a Proton-M/Block DM-03 launch vehicle veered off course immediately after lift-off and exploded when it crashed 30 seconds later.
After nine hours and 12 minutes of flight, the Astra 2E spacecraft was released this morning, Monday 30th September at 6.50 UTC, to begin its own mission in orbit that will feature apogee manoeuvres to enable the spacecraft to enter is final Geostationary Orbit.
HOW THIS AFFECTS YOU
As from the end of October to the beginning of November 2013, all BBC, ITV, Channel 4, Channel 5 and Free View TV channels will be unavailable in most of mainland europe via Satellite.
THE ONLY METHOD TO CONTINUE VIEWING UK TV CHANNELS
...will be via the internet, either through a telephone line with broadband ADSL or satellite broadband with a minimum of 2 Mbps download speed and MUST have an unlimited download facility.
This will affect more than 1,000,000 expats and foreign users outside the new and much smaller satellite footprint. As a result, stocks of IPTV set-top boxes are likely to be exhausted within days.
READER OFFER
In order to continue watching your favourite UK channels order your set top box now and receive a ‘pre-mad-frenzy discount’ of 10% off with free delivery and installation in the Algarve. Activation can be delayed until the switch over is made to the new satellite.
Contact Expat TV Portugal
Andy Fisher, Sales Department
E: sales@expat-tv-portugal.com
T: +351 282 102 523
W: www.expat-tv-portugal.com
For more info: http://www.spaceflight101.com/astra-2e-proton-launch-updates.html
