What is meant by the “Footprint” of a satellite?
A. Footprint (signal reception area) This is the area on the earth’s surface that is “covered” by the HF signal of a satellite. Within this area, the signal can be received readily and without problems by any suitable satellite dish antenna. The digital ASTRA satellites have a significantly higher broadcast power output than the earlier first-generation ASTRA satellites. This means that ASTRA digital programmes can be received throughout Europe, in excellent quality, even when using small dish sizes. In fact, the minimum required now for digital reception is a parabolic dish with a diameter of only 46 cm, or a square flat antenna of 47 cm. The latest satellites eg Astra 2D have steerable beams that can be pointed to a very narrow footprint making it necessary to have a very large dish to receive the signal if you are outside the footprint area.
