INSAT-4A was the first one in the INSAT-4 Satellites series, providing services in the Ku and C band frequency bands. At the time of launch, it was the heaviest satellite India had produced. The Ku transponders cover the Indian main land and C-Band transponders cover an extended area. It has a dozen Ku transponders and another dozen of C-band transponders. This spacecraft was placed at 83°E along with INSAT-2E and INSAT-3B, by Ariane launch vehicle (ARIANE5-V169).[3][4][5][6]
 INSAT-4A spacecraft in deployed configuration | |
| Mission type | Communications |
|---|---|
| Operator | INSAT |
| COSPAR ID | 2005-049A |
| SATCAT no. | 28911 |
| Website | INSAT 4A |
| Mission duration | Planned: 12 years Achieved: 13 years, 9 months, 29 days |
| Spacecraft properties | |
| Bus | I-3K |
| Manufacturer | ISRO |
| Launch mass | 3,081 kilograms (6,792 lb) |
| Dry mass | 1,386 kilograms (3,056 lb)[1] |
| Dimensions | 2.8 x 1.7 x 2.0 m |
| Power | 5,922 watts |
| Start of mission | |
| Launch date | 21 December 2005, 22:33 UTC |
| Rocket | Ariane 5GS |
| Launch site | Kourou ELA-3 |
| Contractor | Arianespace |
| End of mission | |
| Disposal | Moved to a graveyard orbit |
| Deactivated | 21 October 2019[2] |
| Orbital parameters | |
| Reference system | Geocentric |
| Regime | Geostationary |
| Slot | 83° East (0°N 83°E / 0°N +83°E) |
| Period | 24 hours |
| Transponders | |
| Band | 12 Ku band 12 C-band |
| Bandwidth | 36 megahertz |
| TWTA power | 140 & 63 watts |
| EIRP | 51 & 38 dbW |
Overview edit
INSAT-4A was a communication satellite intended for providing high quality television, telecommunication, broadcasting services and was the first satellite to be launched in the INSAT-4 series.
Launch edit
INSAT-4A was launched by an Ariane 5, produced by Arianespace, on 21 Dec 2005 at 22.33 UTC[7][8] from Kourou, French Guiana. It was placed into a Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO), 30 minutes after lift-off in 3-axis stabilized mode, with a perigee of 859 km and an apogee of 36,055 km. Its co-passenger on board was Meteosat-9 of EUMETSAT.
Payload edit
- 12 Ku band transponders. It was being used by Tata Sky.
- 12 C-band transponders
End Of Life and Replacement edit
The satellite was placed in the graveyard orbit on 21 October 2019 after almost 14 years in service.[2] A replacement satellite GSAT-30 was launched on 21:05 UTC, 16 January 2020 aboard Ariane 5 VA251.[9][10]
References edit
- ^ "Salient features of INSAT-4A". Archived from the original on 28 October 2019. Retrieved 28 October 2019.
- ^ a b "Historical satellite position data for INSAT-4A for the month of October 2019". Retrieved 28 October 2019.
- ^ "Insat 4A, 4B".
- ^ "Insat-4A - Isro". Archived from the original on 2015-09-27. Retrieved 2017-01-29.
- ^ "SALIENT FEATURES OF INSAT-4A". www.ursc.gov.in. Archived from the original on 15 September 2015. Retrieved 2020-01-16.
- ^ "Space India, October 2005 - March 2006" (PDF).
- ^ "Ariane: 5 for 5 in 2005, Successful launch of Insat 4A and MSG-2". Arianespace. Retrieved 2022-12-20.
- ^ "INSAT-4A Launched Successfully". 2006-05-07. Archived from the original on 2006-05-07. Retrieved 2022-12-20.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link) - ^ "Press Release: India's communication satellite GSAT-30 launched successfully - ISRO". www.isro.gov.in. Archived from the original on 2020-05-30. Retrieved 2020-01-16.
- ^ "Flight VA251 – first Arianespace mission of 2020 a success: EUTELSAT KONNECT and GSAT-30 in orbit". Arianespace. Retrieved 2020-01-16.
